TY - JOUR
T1 - PFAS concentrations in plasma samples from Danish school children and their mothers
AU - Mørck, Thit Aarøe
AU - Nielsen, Flemming
AU - Nielsen, Jeanette Kolstrup Søgaard
AU - Siersma, Volkert Dirk
AU - Grandjean, Philippe
AU - Knudsen, Lisbeth E.
PY - 2015/6/1
Y1 - 2015/6/1
N2 - Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are accumulating in our environment and human exposure to these
potentially harmful chemicals are of growing concern. In the present study, 116 children aged 6–11
and 143 mothers in two locations in Denmark donated blood samples as a supplement to their participation
in the large European human biomonitoring project, DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study
to COordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale). The blood samples were analyzed
by LC-MS/MS for the concentration of six PFASs: PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDA, br-PFOS and n-PFOS.
All measured compounds were above the detection limit in both mothers and children except for PFHxS
in one child. There was a significant correlation between the levels in children and their mothers, indicating
a family-related exposure pattern. However, we also found that the levels of PFOA, PFNA, PFDA,
br-PFOS and total-PFOS were significantly higher in children compared to their mothers. This may be
due to higher exposure in children through for example dust and soil, and due to the fact that children
are smaller in body size and blood volume and hence have a lower storage capacity. Furthermore, we
found an association between plasma levels and the age of the mothers and higher levels of plasma PFASs
in mothers with low parity. There were no associations between PFAS concentrations and residential
area, dietary habits of the participants or with respect to the birth order of the children. The levels are
comparable to concentrations found in other Western countries.
AB - Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are accumulating in our environment and human exposure to these
potentially harmful chemicals are of growing concern. In the present study, 116 children aged 6–11
and 143 mothers in two locations in Denmark donated blood samples as a supplement to their participation
in the large European human biomonitoring project, DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study
to COordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale). The blood samples were analyzed
by LC-MS/MS for the concentration of six PFASs: PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDA, br-PFOS and n-PFOS.
All measured compounds were above the detection limit in both mothers and children except for PFHxS
in one child. There was a significant correlation between the levels in children and their mothers, indicating
a family-related exposure pattern. However, we also found that the levels of PFOA, PFNA, PFDA,
br-PFOS and total-PFOS were significantly higher in children compared to their mothers. This may be
due to higher exposure in children through for example dust and soil, and due to the fact that children
are smaller in body size and blood volume and hence have a lower storage capacity. Furthermore, we
found an association between plasma levels and the age of the mothers and higher levels of plasma PFASs
in mothers with low parity. There were no associations between PFAS concentrations and residential
area, dietary habits of the participants or with respect to the birth order of the children. The levels are
comparable to concentrations found in other Western countries.
KW - MOTHERS
KW - semrap-2014-2
U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.07.018
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.07.018
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 25147004
SN - 0045-6535
VL - 129
SP - 203
EP - 209
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
ER -