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Dietary patterns and PFAS plasma concentrations in childhood: Project Viva, USA
Shravanthi M Seshasayee1, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman2, Jorge E Chavarro3
1Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland, ME, USA.
Insights
Children’s diets, especially packaged foods, ice cream, soda, and fish, are linked to higher per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels. This study identifies key dietary patterns contributing to PFAS exposure in children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental health
- Pediatric toxicology
- Nutritional epidemiology
Background:
- Diet is a primary source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure in adults.
- Children's unique dietary habits and vulnerability necessitate specific research on PFAS exposure.
- Limited studies exist on dietary patterns and PFAS levels in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific food items and dietary patterns with plasma concentrations of PFAS in children.
- To identify key dietary determinants of PFAS exposure in early and mid-childhood.
- To understand how diet influences PFAS levels in a vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- Studied 548 Boston-area children, collecting food frequency data (89 items) in early childhood and plasma PFAS concentrations in mid-childhood.
- Employed univariate linear regression to assess individual food item associations with PFAS.
- Utilized reduced rank regression (RRR) to identify dietary patterns explaining PFAS variation, adjusting for socioeconomic factors.
Main Results:
- Higher intake of ice cream and soda correlated with increased 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide) acetate (MeFOSAA) plasma levels.
- Six dietary patterns explained 18% of PFAS variation; a pattern of packaged foods and fish accounted for half of this.
- Children consuming more packaged foods and fish showed higher plasma concentrations of all studied PFAS, notably MeFOSAA and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).
Conclusions:
- Dietary intake, particularly of packaged foods, ice cream, soda, and fish, is associated with elevated PFAS levels in children.
- Identified specific dietary patterns that may serve as sources of PFAS exposure or indicate related lifestyle factors.
- Findings can inform strategies to reduce childhood PFAS exposure through dietary modifications.
Background:
Diet is thought to account for most adult human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects of PFAS and may have different eating habits than adults. However, studies of dietary patterns and PFAS in children are limited.
Methods:
We studied 548 Boston-area children with food frequency questionnaire data (89 food items) in early childhood (median age 3.3 years) and plasma concentrations of 6 PFAS quantified in mid-childhood (median age 7.7 years). We used univariate linear regression to examine associations between each food item and PFAS, accounting for multiple comparisons. We next used reduced rank regression (RRR) to estimate overall percent variation in PFAS explained by diet and identify dietary patterns most correlated with PFAS. All models were adjusted for race/ethnicity, maternal education, and household income.
Results:
In univariate analyses, 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide) acetate (MeFOSAA) plasma concentrations were 17.8% (95% CI: 7.2, 29.5) and 17.0% (95% CI: 6.4, 28.7) higher per SD increment in intake of ice cream and soda, respectively. RRR identified 6 dietary patterns that together explained 18% variation in the plasma concentrations of the 6 PFAS, of which 50% was explained by a dietary pattern consisting of primarily packaged foods (including ice cream and soda) and fish. Children with higher intake of the packaged foods and fish dietary pattern had higher plasma concentrations of all PFAS, particularly MeFOSAA and PFOS.
Conclusions:
Our analysis examined food intake in association with several PFAS in children and identified dietary determinants that may be sources of PFAS exposure or reflect correlated lifestyle or toxicokinetic factors. Further investigation may help inform measures to modify childhood PFAS exposure.
