Predictors of Emerging Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Exposure in Serum of U.S. Adults Open Access

Abstract

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of fluorinated organic compounds commonly used as lubricants, surfactants, stain- and fire-repellents and are applied to treat several types of flooring, furniture materials, and textiles. Legacy PFAS, including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with 8 fluorinated carbons in their structure (C8) that were widely used until the early 2000s when global restrictions were imposed due to their environmental persistence and human toxicity. As a result, ultrashort-chain (C2-C3) and short-chain (C4-C7) PFAAs with less than 8 carbons in their structure were introduced as a safer and less-bio accumulative alternative. These shorter-chain compounds are now detected in human blood serum and the environment. Limited data is available characterizing ultrashort-chain and short-chain exposure pathways. In this study, we investigated whether sociodemographic factors, behavioral patterns, and housing attributes are associated with elevated levels of ultrashort- and short-chain PFAS in serum from 81 participants from Indiana, United States. Ultrashort-chain trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, C2) was the predominant PFAA in serum samples, and ultrashort-chain PFPrA was detected at levels comparable to long-chain PFAAs. Significant positive associations were observed between ultrashort-chain TFA and the 39 to 60-year-old age group (beta: 0.52, 95% CI [0.14, 0.91] and an apartment housing type (beta: 0.69, 95% CI [0.09, 1.29]). The high prevalence of ultrashort-chain compounds TFA and PFPrA indicates that the accumulation of ultrashort-chain alternatives has exceeded levels of long-chain PFAS in humans.

Table of Contents

Introduction Methods Sample Collection Sample Analysis Data Analysis Results Study Population Characteristics Table 1. PFAS Concentrations Table 2 Figure 1. Demographic Predictors Figure 2. Housing Predictors Figure 3. Discussion Conclusion Public Health Implications Supporting Information References

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Epidemiology
Subfield / Discipline	Epidemiology - MPH & MSPH
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Environmental Sciences
Keyword	PFAS Short-chain Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances PFAAs TFA Ultrashort-chain
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Stephanie Eick, Emory University
Committee Members	Amina Salamova, Emory University

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