Department of Pediatrics, Subdivision of Endocrinology, Erasmus University Medical Center /Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Diagnostic Laboratory of Endocrinology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Environ Int. 2022 Feb;160:107068. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107068. Epub 2021 Dec 27.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a potential hazard for public health. These man-made-chemicals are non-degradable with an elimination half-life of multiple years, causing accumulation in the environment and humans. Rodent studies demonstrated that PFAS are harmful, especially when present during the critical window in the first months of life. Because longitudinal data during infancy are limited, we investigated longitudinal plasma levels in infants aged 3 months and 2 years and its most important determinants.
In 369 healthy term-born Dutch infants, we determined plasma PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFDA levels at age 3 months and 2 years, using liquid chromatography-electrospray-ionization-tandem-mass-spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). We studied the associations with maternal and child characteristics by multiple regression models.
At age 3 months, median plasma levels of PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFDA were 1.48, 2.40, 0.43, 0.23 and 0.07 ng/mL, resp. Levels decreased slightly until age 2 years to 1.30, 1.81, 0.40, 0.21 and 0.08 ng/mL, resp. Maternal age, first born, Caucasian ethnicity and exclusive breastfeeding were associated with higher infant's plasma levels at age 3 months. Levels at 3 months were the most important predictor for PFAS levels at age 2 years. Infants with exclusive breastfeeding during the first 3 months of life (EBF) had 2-3 fold higher levels throughout infancy compared to infants with exclusive formula feeding (EFF), with PFOA levels at 3 months 3.72 ng/mL versus 1.26 ng/mL and at 2 years 3.15 ng/mL versus 1.22 ng/mL, respectively.
Plasma PFAS levels decreased only slightly during infancy. Higher levels at age 3 months were found in Caucasian, first-born infants from older mothers and throughout infancy in EBF-infants. Our findings indicate that trans-placental transmission and breastfeeding are the most important determinants of PFAS exposure in early life.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）对公共健康构成潜在危害。这些人为化学物质不可降解，消除半衰期长达数年，导致其在环境和人类中积累。啮齿动物研究表明，PFAS 具有危害性，尤其是在生命最初几个月的关键窗口期存在时。由于婴儿期的纵向数据有限，我们研究了 3 个月和 2 岁婴儿的纵向血浆水平及其最重要的决定因素。
在 369 名健康足月出生的荷兰婴儿中，我们使用液相色谱-电喷雾-串联质谱法（LC-ESI-MS/MS）在 3 个月和 2 岁时测定了血浆 PFOS、PFOA、PFHxS、PFNA 和 PFDA 水平。我们通过多元回归模型研究了这些因素与母婴特征之间的关联。
3 个月时，PFOS、PFOA、PFHxS、PFNA 和 PFDA 的中位血浆水平分别为 1.48、2.40、0.43、0.23 和 0.07ng/mL。到 2 岁时，水平略有下降，分别为 1.30、1.81、0.40、0.21 和 0.08ng/mL。母亲年龄、第一胎、白种人和纯母乳喂养与婴儿 3 个月时的血浆水平较高有关。3 个月时的水平是 2 岁时 PFAS 水平的最重要预测因素。与纯配方奶喂养的婴儿相比，在生命最初 3 个月内进行纯母乳喂养（EBF）的婴儿在整个婴儿期的水平要高出 2-3 倍，3 个月时的 PFOA 水平分别为 3.72ng/mL 比 1.26ng/mL，2 岁时的水平分别为 3.15ng/mL 比 1.22ng/mL。
在婴儿期，血浆 PFAS 水平仅略有下降。在白种人、母亲年龄较大的第一胎婴儿和整个婴儿期的 EBF 婴儿中，3 个月时的水平较高。我们的研究结果表明，胎盘转移和母乳喂养是婴儿早期 PFAS 暴露的最重要决定因素。
