van Larebeke Nicolas, Cox Bianca, Remy Sylvie, Voorspoels Stefan, Den Hond Elly, Colles Ann, Leermakers Martine, Schoeters Greet, Verheyen Veerle
Archeology, Environmental Changes and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, 1050, Belgium.
Ghent University Hospital, Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
Environ Health. 2025 Jun 7;24(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01188-1.
Near Antwerp a 3M factory has been active since 1971 emitting PFAS, mainly PFOS, in the local environment. Production of C8 compounds was stopped in 2002, production of other PFAS continued until 2024. This study aimed to examine the association between internal PFAS concentrations and thyroid hormones, sexual hormones, and pubertal development in adolescents living in the neighborhood of the factory.
We measured PFAS in serum of 146 female and 139 male adolescents. For males sex hormones (LH, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, inhibin B, FSH) and SHBG were measured in serum. For males and females we assessed serum thyroid hormone levels (TSH, T3, T4 and T3/T4) and pubertal development parameters self-assessed through a standardized questionnaire. Associations between PFAS concentrations and effect biomarkers/health effects were assessed through Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE), using linear models for continuous outcomes, logistic models for binary outcomes, and proportional odds models for ordinal outcomes.
For males LH, total and bioavailable testosterone showed significant negative associations with PFHxS and PFOA. LH and bioavailable testosterone also showed significant negative associations with other PFAS compounds. SHBG showed significant positive associations with PFDA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFOS and the sum of the linear forms of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS. Males' length and growth spurt showed significant negative associations with PFOS, PFOA and PFAS sum parameters and length and growth spurt separately also with other PFAS compounds. For females growth spurt showed significant negative association with PFOA and a significant positive association with PFOS(branched). For both males and females body hair development showed significant negative associations with PFHxS, and, for males and females separately also with other PFAS compounds. For females, breast development showed significant negative associations with PFOA, pubertal development scale showed significant negative associations with PFOA, PFHxS, PFOS(linear) and the sum of 4 PFAS. For males, TSH showed a significant negative association with PFDA and FT3 showed significant positive associations with PFOA, PFOA and PFNA. For females, FT3 showed a significant negative association with PFOS(branched).
We observed significant, consistent and biologically relevant associations of PFAS serum concentrations with sex hormone and SHBG levels in male adolescents. Moreover, a significant delay in physiological processes occurring in puberty was observed in females and males. Associations with thyroid hormones differed significantly by sex.
自1971年以来，一家3M工厂在安特卫普附近一直处于运营状态，向当地环境中排放全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS），主要是全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）。C8化合物的生产于2002年停止，其他PFAS的生产持续到2024年。本研究旨在探讨生活在工厂附近的青少年体内PFAS浓度与甲状腺激素、性激素及青春期发育之间的关联。
我们测量了146名女性和139名男性青少年血清中的PFAS。对男性，测定血清中的性激素（促黄体生成素、睾酮、雌二醇、孕酮、抑制素B、卵泡刺激素）和性激素结合球蛋白（SHBG）。对男性和女性，我们评估血清甲状腺激素水平（促甲状腺激素、三碘甲状腺原氨酸、甲状腺素和三碘甲状腺原氨酸/甲状腺素）以及通过标准化问卷自我评估的青春期发育参数。通过广义估计方程（GEE）评估PFAS浓度与效应生物标志物/健康效应之间的关联，对于连续结局使用线性模型，对于二元结局使用逻辑模型，对于有序结局使用比例优势模型。
对于男性，促黄体生成素、总睾酮和生物可利用睾酮与全氟己烷磺酸（PFHxS）和全氟辛酸（PFOA）呈显著负相关。促黄体生成素和生物可利用睾酮与其他PFAS化合物也呈显著负相关。性激素结合球蛋白与全氟癸酸（PFDA）、全氟萘酸（PFNA）、PFHxS、PFOS以及PFOS、PFOA、PFNA和PFHxS线性形式的总和呈显著正相关。男性的身高和生长突增与PFOS、PFOA和PFAS总和参数呈显著负相关，身高和生长突增分别与其他PFAS化合物也呈负相关。对于女性，生长突增与PFOA呈显著负相关，与支链PFOS呈显著正相关。对于男性和女性，体毛发育与PFHxS呈显著负相关，男性和女性分别与其他PFAS化合物也呈负相关。对于女性，乳房发育与PFOA呈显著负相关，青春期发育量表与PFOA、PFHxS、线性PFOS和4种PFAS的总和呈显著负相关。对于男性，促甲状腺激素与PFDA呈显著负相关，游离三碘甲状腺原氨酸（FT3）与PFOA、PFOA和PFNA呈显著正相关。对于女性，FT3与支链PFOS呈显著负相关。
我们观察到男性青少年血清PFAS浓度与性激素和SHBG水平之间存在显著、一致且具有生物学相关性的关联。此外，在女性和男性中均观察到青春期发生的生理过程有显著延迟。与甲状腺激素的关联在性别上有显著差异。
