Web Release Date: July 24,
Perfluorooctanesulfonate and Related Fluorochemicals in Human Blood from Several Countries
and
Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health,
and Department of Environmental Toxicology and Health,
State University of New York, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box
509, Albany, New York 12201-0509, Dipartimento di Scienze
Ambientali, Università di Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy,
Department of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology,
University of Gda
sk, Gdask, Poland, Departemento de
Oceanografia, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande,
C.P. 474, Rio Grande RS 96201-900, Brazil, Shimadzu
Techno-Research Inc., 1 Nishinokyo-Shimoaicho, Nakagyo-ku,
Kyoto 604-8436, Japan, Department of Chemistry and
Center for Reservoir Research, Murray State University,
Murray, Kentucky 42071, Department of Pharmacology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, Environmental and Computational
Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, Cartagena,
Colombia, Scientific Institute of Public Health, J.
Wytsmanstreet, 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, and
School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu,
3056-6 Daemyong-4-dong, Namgu, Daegu 705-718, Korea
Received for review April 29, 2004
Revised manuscript received June 4, 2004
Accepted June 11, 2004
Abstract:
Perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride based compounds have been used in a wide variety of consumer products, such as carpets, upholstery, and textiles. These compounds degrade to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), a persistent metabolite that accumulates in tissues of humans and wildlife. Previous studies have reported the occurrence of PFOS, perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) in human sera collected from the United States. In this study, concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, and PFOSA were measured in 473 human blood/serum/plasma samples collected from the United States, Colombia, Brazil, Belgium, Italy, Poland, India, Malaysia, and Korea. Among the four perfluorochemicals measured, PFOS was the predominant compound found in blood. Concentrations of PFOS were the highest in the samples collected from the United States and Poland (>30 ng/mL); moderate in Korea, Belgium, Malaysia, Brazil, Italy, and Colombia (3 to 29 ng/mL); and lowest in India (<3 ng/mL). PFOA was the next most abundant perfluorochemical in blood samples, although the frequency of occurrence of this compound was relatively low. No age- or gender-related differences in the concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were found in serum samples. The degree of association between the concentrations of four perfluorochemicals varied, depending on the origin of the samples. These results suggested the existence of sources with varying levels and compositions of perfluorochemicals, and differences in exposure patterns to these chemicals, in various countries. In addition to the four target fluorochemicals measured, qualitative analysis of selected blood samples showed the presence of other perfluorochemicals such as perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) in serum samples, at concentrations approximately 5- to 10-fold lower than the concentration of PFOS. Further studies should focus on identifying sources and pathways of human exposure to perfluorochemicals.
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