Children's exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids - a modelling approach
Fabian G P Balk1, Kerstin Winkens Pütz2, Anton Ribbenstedt3
1Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8c, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. Ian.Cousins@aces.su.se Fabian.Balk@eawag.ch and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts
|September 25, 2019
Summary
Diet is a primary exposure route for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in children. This study modeled serum PFAS levels, finding children
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widespread environmental contaminants.
- Adult exposure routes are known, but children's exposure pathways remain unclear.
- PFASs are linked to various adverse health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct serum concentrations of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS in children aged 1 to 10.5 years.
- To determine if dietary intake is the main exposure pathway for these PFASs in children.
- To compare modeled and measured serum PFAS concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a Finnish child cohort study.
- Measured serum concentrations of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS.
- Assessed PFAS concentrations in dust and air samples.
- Employed a pharmacokinetic (PK) model to reconstruct serum PFAS levels based on calculated dietary intake.
Main Results:
- Diet was identified as the major exposure medium for 10.5-year-old children.
- The PK model accurately reconstructed median PFOA and PFOS serum concentrations.
- Modeled PFHxS serum concentrations were consistently underestimated, indicating a need for further investigation.
- PFOA and PFOS exposure levels were close to regulatory thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Children's exposure to PFOA and PFOS after infancy resembles adult exposure patterns.
- Exposure to PFOA and PFOS remained relatively constant for children between 1 and 10.5 years.
- Further research is needed to understand PFHxS exposure sources and PK parameters in children.
