Dataset Information

Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Concerns remain about the human reproductive toxicity of the widespread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during early stages of development.

Objectives

We examined associations between maternal plasma PFAS levels during early pregnancy and male offspring reproductive function in adulthood.

Methods

The study included 864 young men (age range:18.9-21.2 y) from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort established between 2017 and 2019. Plasma samples from their mothers, primarily from the first trimester, were retrieved from the Danish National Biobank and levels of 15 PFAS were measured. Seven PFAS had detectable levels above the limit of detection in >80% of the samples and were included in analyses. Semen quality, testicular volume, and levels of reproductive hormones and PFAS were assessed in the young men. We used weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to estimate the associations between combined exposure to maternal PFAS and reproductive function, and negative binomial regression to estimate the associations of single substances, while adjusting for a range of a priori-defined fetal and postnatal risk factors.

Results

By a 1-unit increase in the WQS index, combined maternal PFAS exposure was associated with lower sperm concentration (-8%; 95% CI: -16%, -1%), total sperm count (-10%; 95% CI: -17%, -2%), and a higher proportion of nonprogressive and immotile sperm (5%; 95% CI: 1%, 8%) in the young men. Different PFAS contributed to the associations with varying strengths; however, perfluoroheptanoic acid was identified as the main contributor in the analyses of all three outcomes despite the low concentration. We saw no clear association between exposure to maternal PFAS and testicular volume or reproductive hormones.

Discussion

In a sample of young men from the general Danish population, we observed consistent inverse associations between exposure to maternal PFAS and semen quality. The study needs to be replicated in other populations, taking combined exposure, as well as emerging short-chain PFAS, into consideration. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10285.

SUBMITTER: Hærvig KK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9533763 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS.

Hærvig Katia Keglberg KK Petersen Kajsa Ugelvig KU Hougaard Karin Sørig KS Lindh Christian C Ramlau-Hansen Cecilia Høst CH Toft Gunnar G Giwercman Aleksander A Høyer Birgit Bjerre BB Flachs Esben Meulengracht EM Bonde Jens Peter JP Tøttenborg Sandra Søgaard SS

Environmental health perspectives 20221005 10

<h4>Background</h4>Concerns remain about the human reproductive toxicity of the widespread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during early stages of development.<h4>Objectives</h4>We examined associations between maternal plasma PFAS levels during early pregnancy and male offspring reproductive function in adulthood.<h4>Methods</h4>The study included 864 young men (age range:18.9-21.2 y) from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort established between 2017 and 2019. Plasma ...[more]

PMID: 36197086

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Project description:Early life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may adversely impact neurodevelopment, but epidemiological findings are inconsistent. In the Project Viva pre-birth cohort, we examined associations of prenatal and childhood PFAS plasma concentrations with parent and teacher assessments of children's behavior problems [Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)] and executive function abilities [Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)] at age 6-10 years (sample sizes 485-933). PFAS concentrations in pregnant Project Viva mothers (in 1999-2002) and children at ages 6-10 (in 2007-10) were similar to concentrations at similar time points in women and children in the nationally representative U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We observed no consistent associations of prenatal PFAS concentrations with behavior or executive function. Childhood concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) were associated with higher parent-rated SDQ Total Difficulties scores (mean = 6.7, standard deviation (SD) = 4.9), suggesting greater behavioral problems (top (Q4) versus bottom (Q1) quartile PFOA: 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3, 2.7; PFOS: 1.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 2.5; PFHxS: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 2.3; PFNA: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 2.2; PFDA: 1.1, 95% CI: 0.0, 1.1); teacher-rated SDQ scores did not show associations. Higher childhood PFOS was associated with higher (indicating more problems) parent-rated BRIEF General Executive Composite (GEC) scores (standardized to mean = 50, SD = 10) (Q4 vs. Q1: 2.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 4.6), while teacher BRIEF GEC scores indicated more problems among children with higher PFHxS (Q4 vs. Q1: 3.5, 95% CI: -0.8, 6.3). There were no consistent patterns of sexual dimorphism in associations. In a cohort of U.S. children, we observed cross-sectional associations of childhood PFAS concentrations with greater behavioral and executive function problems, but no consistent associations with prenatal PFAS.

Dataset Information

Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS.

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS.

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