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Pre- and postnatal exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).

Hermann Fromme1, Christine Mosch, Maria Morovitz

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Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) like PFOS and PFOA were measured in maternal and infant blood and breast milk in Germany. Infant exposure increased after birth, with breast milk contributing to body burden.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Toxicology
  • Human Biomonitoring

Background:

  • Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are widely used industrial chemicals with known persistence.
  • Human exposure to PFCs is a growing public health concern, particularly for vulnerable populations like pregnant women and infants.
  • Understanding the transfer and accumulation of PFCs across the maternal-fetal-infant axis is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify levels of key PFCs, specifically perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in maternal blood, cord blood, infant blood, and breast milk.
  • To investigate the temporal trends and pathways of PFC exposure in infants from birth up to 19 months of age.
  • To assess the contribution of breast milk to the overall body burden of PFCs in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Maternal blood samples were collected during pregnancy and postpartum.
  • Cord blood and infant blood samples were collected at birth and at 6 and 19 months postpartum.
  • Breast milk samples were collected monthly.
  • Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were determined using validated analytical methods (e.g., LC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

  • Maternal serum concentrations of PFOS and PFOA ranged from 0.5-9.4 μg/L and 0.7-8.7 μg/L, respectively.
  • Cord serum showed lower concentrations, ranging from 0.3-2.8 μg/L (PFOS) and 0.5-4.2 μg/L (PFOA).
  • Infant serum concentrations increased over the first 19 months, with median PFOS at 3.0 μg/L (6 months) and 1.9 μg/L (19 months), and PFOA at 6.9 μg/L (6 months) and 4.6 μg/L (19 months).
  • PFC concentrations in breast milk were generally low, but contributed to infant body burden, reaching levels similar to or higher than adults by 6 months of age.

Conclusions:

  • Infants experience increasing exposure to PFCs after birth, with breast milk being a significant source.
  • The study highlights the transfer of PFCs from mother to infant and the accumulation during early life.
  • Findings underscore the need for monitoring PFC exposure in pregnant women and infants and for evaluating potential health risks associated with early-life exposure.