Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in serum and associations with food consumption and use of personal care products in the Norwegian biomonitoring study from the EU project EuroMix

Abstract

Background: Human exposure to chemicals through the oral, dermal, or inhalation routes is significant. To assess this exposure, a human biomonitoring study was conducted in Norway to examine the plausibility of source-todose calculations for chemical mixtures. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made compounds used for their surfactant properties, and several are persistent and bioaccumulative. Some PFASs are toxic and are regarded as endocrine disruptors and have been shown to suppress immune function and affect cholesterol homeostasis. Using the participants from the EuroMix BM study, we set out to describe PFAS concentrations and to evaluate associations with diet and use of personal care products (PCPs). Methods: Participants (44 males and 100 females) kept detailed diaries on their food consumption and their PCP use for two non-consecutive days. All urine (24 h) and blood samples were collected at the end of each study day. Levels of 25 PFASs were analysed in serum from study day 1 using a high throughput online solid phase extraction ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Multivariable linear regressions were performed between each food and PCP category and each chemical and were sexstratified when the consumption of food or use of PCPs was significantly different between men and women. Results: Eight PFASs were detected in all analysed samples (PFHxS, PFHpS, PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA and PFDoDA), and four PFASs were below the limit of detection (PFOPA, PFDPA, PFHxA, and EtFOSA). Several PFASs were found to be positively associated with fish consumption (PFOS, PFNA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFDA, PFDS and PFTrDA). Sunscreen, mouthwash, and lip gloss/lip balm were found to be positively associated with PFASs (PFOA, PFTrDA, and PFOSA). Conclusion:The participants in the EuroMix study were exposed to PFASs through their diet and PCP use. Several foods and PCPs were found to be potential sources of exposure to PFASs.

First Evidence of Prenatal Exposure to Emerging Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances Associated with E-Waste Dismantling: Chemical Structure-Based Placental Transfer and Health Risks

“…The serum concentrations of PFOPA (median: 0.69 ng/mL) in pregnant women were similar to those reported for occupationally exposed waste recycling workers (0.76 ng/mL) in that study and higher serum concentrations of PFOPA were found in waste sorters (0.61 ng/mL) and stevedores (0.77 ng/mL) than in managers (0.20 ng/mL) in the waste recycling factory, suggesting that sorters and stevedores may be directly exposed to PFOPA . Furthermore, our serum PFOPA concentrations were higher than those found in the general population (<0.03 ng/mL) in Norway. , These results suggest that e-waste dismantling activities also contributed to exposure to PFOPA.…”

“…Information with regard to the occurrence of PFOPA in humans is very limited. , This is the first study to report the occurrence of PFOPA in pregnant women. The serum concentrations of PFOPA (median: 0.69 ng/mL) in pregnant women were similar to those reported for occupationally exposed waste recycling workers (0.76 ng/mL) in that study and higher serum concentrations of PFOPA were found in waste sorters (0.61 ng/mL) and stevedores (0.77 ng/mL) than in managers (0.20 ng/mL) in the waste recycling factory, suggesting that sorters and stevedores may be directly exposed to PFOPA .…”

Dose Addition in the Induction of Craniofacial Malformations in Zebrafish Embryos Exposed to a Complex Mixture of Food-Relevant Chemicals with Dissimilar Modes of Action

“… 54 , 55 Another approach to estimate exposure is human biomonitoring, through analysis of CAG-specific contaminants and their metabolites in human biomaterial, particularly urine and blood. 56 , 57 , 58 Such information, combined with analysis of potential sources of the measured contaminants, can help to build and refine physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for estimating internal human exposure. 59 As explained above, exposure data of multiple contaminants can be converted into a mixture dose using RPFs, expressed as a total dose of a reference compound, where all (also low) doses of individual compounds should be included in the calculation.…”

Targeted and Suspect Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

“…Epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between use of cosmetics and personal care products and internal levels of PFAS. Personal care product use has been associated with serum levels of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), PFOA, perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA), and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) . Applying cosmetics and personal care products has been identified as a potential source of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and PFOS in breast milk, respectively .…”