Dataset Information

Estimated Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Maternal Serum to Breast Milk in Women Highly Exposed from Contaminated Drinking Water: A Study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Infancy perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure from breastfeeding is partially determined by the transfer efficiencies (TEs) of PFAS from maternal serum into breast milk. However, to our knowledge there are no studies of such TEs in highly exposed populations.

Objectives

We estimated the TEs of PFAS from maternal serum into colostrum and breast milk in a cohort of women with a wide range of PFAS exposures.

Methods

The Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort was established in 2015 after PFAS contamination was discovered in the public drinking water of Ronneby, Sweden. We measured seven PFAS in matched samples of maternal serum at delivery and colostrum and breast milk. We calculated the TE (in percentage) as the ratio of PFAS in colostrum or breast milk to serum multiplied by 100 and evaluated whether TEs varied by PFAS, lactation stage, or exposure level using a series of linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept for each woman.

Results

This study included 126 mothers. PFAS associated with firefighting foams [i.e., perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)] were substantially elevated in the serum, colostrum, and breast milk samples of highly exposed women in the cohort and showed strong correlation. PFHxS and PFOS also contributed the largest fraction of total PFAS on average in colostrum and breast milk. Median TEs varied from 0.9% to 4.3% and were higher for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, including perfluorooctanoic acid, than perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids, including PFHxS and PFOS. TEs varied by exposure level, but there was not a consistent pattern in this variation.

Discussion

PFAS concentrations in the colostrum and breast milk of highly exposed women were higher than the concentrations in low-exposed women, and TEs were of a similar magnitude across exposure categories. This implies that breastfeeding may be an important route of PFAS exposure for breastfeeding infants with highly exposed mothers, although the relative contribution of breastfeeding vs. prenatal transplacental transfer remains to be clarified. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11292.

SUBMITTER: Blomberg AJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9869870 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Estimated Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Maternal Serum to Breast Milk in Women Highly Exposed from Contaminated Drinking Water: A Study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort.

Blomberg Annelise J AJ Norén Erika E Haug Line S LS Lindh Christian C Sabaredzovic Azemira A Pineda Daniela D Jakobsson Kristina K Nielsen Christel C

Environmental health perspectives 20230123 1

<h4>Background</h4>Infancy perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure from breastfeeding is partially determined by the transfer efficiencies (TEs) of PFAS from maternal serum into breast milk. However, to our knowledge there are no studies of such TEs in highly exposed populations.<h4>Objectives</h4>We estimated the TEs of PFAS from maternal serum into colostrum and breast milk in a cohort of women with a wide range of PFAS exposures.<h4>Methods</h4>The Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort was establishe ...[more]

PMID: 36688826

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Project description:BackgroundIn spring 2013, groundwater of a vast area of the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy) was found to be contaminated by perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a PFAS manufacturing plant active since the late 1960s. Residents were exposed to high concentrations of PFAS, particularly perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), through drinking water until autumn 2013. A publicly funded health surveillance program is under way to aid in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of chronic disorders possibly associated with PFAS exposure.ObjectivesThe objectives of this paper are: a) to describe the organization of the health surveillance program, b) to report serum PFAS concentrations in adolescents and young adults, and c) to identify predictors of serum PFAS concentrations in the studied population.MethodsThe health surveillance program offered to residents of municipalities supplied by contaminated waterworks includes a structured interview, routine blood and urine tests, and measurement of 12 PFAS in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We studied 18,345 participants born between 1978 and 2002, 14-39 years of age at recruitment. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary, and reproductive predictors of serum PFAS concentrations.ResultsThe PFAS with the highest serum concentrations were PFOA [median 44.4 ng/mL, interquartile range (IQR) 19.3-84.9], perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) (median 3.9 ng/mL, IQR 1.9-7.4), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (median 3.9 ng/mL, IQR 2.6-5.8). The major predictors of serum levels were gender, municipality, duration of residence in the affected area, and number of deliveries. Overall, the regression models explained 37%, 23%, and 43% of the variance of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS, respectively.ConclusionsSerum PFOA concentrations were high relative to concentrations in populations with background residential exposures only. Interindividual variation of serum PFAS levels was partially explained by the considered predictors. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5337.

Project description:BackgroundPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemical substances spread throughout the environment worldwide. Exposure during pregnancy represents a specific window of vulnerability for child health.ObjectiveOur objective was to assess the impact of prenatal exposure to multiple PFAS on emotional and behavioral functions in 12-y-old children.MethodIn the PELAGIE mother-child cohort (France), prenatal exposure to nine PFAS was measured from concentrations in cord serum samples. Behavior was assessed at age 12 y using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the self-reported Dominic Interactive for Adolescents (DIA) for 444 children. Associations were estimated using negative binomial models for each PFAS. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were performed to assess the exposure mixture effect on children's behavior.ResultsIn our study population, 73% of mothers had spent more than 12 y in education. Higher scores on SDQ externalizing subscale were observed with increasing cord-serum concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) [adjusted mean ratio (aMR)=1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.34, and aMR=1.14 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.29) for every doubling of concentration, respectively]. Results for the hyperactivity score were similar [aMR=1.20 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.40) and aMR=1.18 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.36), respectively]. With regard to major depressive disorder and internalizing subscales, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) was associated with higher self-reported DIA scores [aMR=1.14 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.27) and aMR=1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.21), respectively]. In terms of the anxiety subscale, PFDA and PFNA were associated with higher scores [aMR=1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.21) and aMR=1.10 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.19), respectively]. Concurrent increases in the PFAS concentrations included in the BKMR models showed no change in the SDQ externalizing and DIA internalizing subscales scores.ConclusionPrenatal exposure to PFNA and PFOA were associated with increasing scores for measures of externalizing behaviors, specifically hyperactivity. We also identified associations between PFNA and PFDA prenatal exposure levels and increasing scores related to internalizing behaviors (general anxiety and major depressive disorder), which adds to the as yet sparse literature examining the links between prenatal exposure to PFAS and internalizing disorders. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12540.

Project description:BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure have been associated with obesity and related comorbidities, possibly through disrupting signaling pathways of adipokines. Both leptin and adiponectin can modulate metabolic processes. However, the effects of PFAS on adipokines are not well understood.ObjectiveWe determined if serum PFAS concentrations were associated with adipokine profiles in midlife women.MethodsWe examined 1245 women aged 45-56 years from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Concentrations of 11 PFAS were quantified in baseline serum samples collected in 1999-2000. Linear and branched perfluorooctane sulfonic acid isomers (n-PFOS and Sm-PFOS) and their sum (PFOS), linear perfluorooctanoic acid (n-PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (MeFOSAA), and 2-(N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (EtFOSAA) with detection frequencies >60% were included in the analysis. Adipokines including leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), free leptin index (FLI, the ratio of leptin to sOB-R), total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin were assessed in 2002-2003. We utilized multivariable linear regressions and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess individual and overall joint effects of PFAS on adipokines with adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, study site, education, smoking status, physical activity, menopausal status, and waist circumference.ResultsA doubling of PFAS concentrations was associated with 7.8% (95% CI: 2.5%, 13.4%) higher FLI for PFOS, 9.4% (95% CI: 3.7%, 15.3%) for n-PFOA, 5.5% (95% CI: 2.2%, 9.0%) for EtFOSAA and 7.4% (95% CI: 2.8%, 12.2%) for MeFOSAA. Similar associations were found for leptin. Only EtFOSAA was associated with lower sOB-R concentrations (-1.4%, 95% CI: -2.7%, -0.1%). Results remained in women with overweight or obesity but not those with normal weight or underweight. No statistically significant associations were observed with total or HMW adiponectin, except for PFNA with total and HMW adiponectin observed in women with normal weight or underweight. In BKMR analysis, women with PFAS concentrations at the median and the 90th percentile had 30.9% (95% CI: 15.6%, 48.3%) and 52.1% (95% CI: 27.9%, 81.0%) higher FLI, respectively, compared with those with concentrations fixed at the 10th percentile.ConclusionSome PFAS may alter circulating levels of leptin. Understanding associations between PFAS and adipokines may help elucidate whether PFAS can influence obesity and metabolic disease.

Project description:Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants ubiquitous in the environment and humans. In-utero PFAS exposure is associated with numerous adverse health impacts. However, little is known about how prenatal PFAS mixture exposure affects offspring's neurobehavioral function. This study aims to determine the causal relationship between in-utero PFAS mixture exposure and neurobehavioral changes in Sprague-Dawley rat offspring. Dams were exposed via drinking water to the vehicle (control), an environmentally relevant PFAS mixture, or a high-dose PFAS mixture. The environmentally relevant mixture was formulated to resemble measured tap water levels in Pittsboro, NC, USA (10 PFAS compounds; sum PFAS =758.6 ng/L). The high-dose PFAS load was 3.8 mg/L (5000×), within the range of exposures in the experimental literature. Exposure occurred seven days before mating until birth. Following exposure to PFAS-laden water or the vehicle during fetal development, neurobehavioral toxicity was assessed in male and female offspring with a battery of motor, cognitive, and affective function tests as juveniles, adolescents, and adults. Just before weaning, the environmentally relevant exposure group had smaller anogenital distances compared to the vehicle and high-dose groups on day 17, and males in the environmentally relevant exposure group demonstrated lower weights than the high-dose group on day 21 (p < 0.05). Reflex development delays were seen in negative geotaxis acquisition for both exposure groups compared to vehicle-exposed controls (p = 0.009). Our post-weaning behavioral measures of anxiety, depression, and memory were not found to be affected by maternal PFAS exposure. In adolescence (week five) and adulthood (week eight), the high PFAS dose significantly attenuated typical sex differences in locomotor activity. Maternal exposure to an environmentally relevant PFAS mixture produced developmental delays in the domains of pup weight, anogenital distance, and reflex acquisition for rat offspring. The high-dose PFAS exposure significantly decreased typical sex differences in locomotor activity.

Dataset Information

Estimated Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Maternal Serum to Breast Milk in Women Highly Exposed from Contaminated Drinking Water: A Study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort.

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Estimated Transfer of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Maternal Serum to Breast Milk in Women Highly Exposed from Contaminated Drinking Water: A Study in the Ronneby Mother-Child Cohort.

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