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. 2020 Feb:135:105381.
doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105381. Epub 2019 Dec 13.

Longitudinal trends in perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances among multiethnic midlife women from 1999 to 2011: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation

Ning Ding  1 , Siobán D Harlow  1 , Stuart Batterman  2 , Bhramar Mukherjee  3 , Sung Kyun Park  4
Affiliations

Longitudinal trends in perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances among multiethnic midlife women from 1999 to 2011: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation

Ning Ding et al. Environ Int. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Limited information exists regarding longitudinal trends in midlife women's exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Further, little is known about how patterns of exposure differ by race/ethnicity and reproductive characteristics including parity and menopause.

Objective: We aimed to examine temporal variations in serum PFAS concentrations among midlife women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Methods: Serum concentrations of 11 PFAS homologues were measured in 75 White, Black and Chinese women with blood samples collected in 1999-2000, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, and 2009-2011. Rates of changes in PFAS concentrations were calculated assuming a first-order elimination model. Associations between PFAS concentrations and race/ethnicity, menstruation and parity were evaluated with linear mixed models, adjusting for age, body mass index and study site.

Results: Serum concentrations of linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid (n-PFOA), linear- and branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (n-PFOS and sm-PFOS) decreased significantly (-6.0%, 95% CI: -8.3%, -3.6% per year for n-PFOA; -14.8%, 95% CI: -17.3%, -12.3% per year for n-PFOS; -16.9%, 95% CI: -19.1%, -14.6% per year for sm-PFOS); whereas perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) increased (16.0%, 95% CI: 10.6%, 21.6% per year). Detection rates of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) doubled. Temporal trends varied significantly by race/ethnicity. Chinese women tended to have consistently higher PFNA concentrations at each follow-up visit, compared with White and Black women. Serum PFHxS concentrations significantly decreased in White and Black women, but not in Chinese. Menstruating women consistently had lower concentrations. Parity was associated with lower concentrations at baseline but the differences between nulliparous and parous women became smaller over time.

Conclusions: Our results suggest longitudinal declines in serum concentrations of legacy PFAS and increases in serum concentrations of emerging compounds from 1999 to 2011 in midlife women. Temporal trends in PFAS concentrations are not uniform across race/ethnicity and parity groups.

Keywords: Biomonitoring; Menstruation; Midlife women; Parity; Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); Racial/ethnic disparities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Concentrations of selected PFAS with detection rates >70% analyzed in repeated serum samples of women (n=75) across the United States for four SWAN visits. Boxes represent the 25th-75th percentiles, horizontal lines represent the median, and whiskers indicate 5th and 95th percentiles, respectively. Note that a log scale is used for Y axis. The limits of detection were 0.1 ng/mL for all PFAS analytes. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum concentrations of selected PFAS with detection rates >70% by race/ethnicity in women (n=75) across the United States for four SWAN visits. Boxes represent the 25th-75th percentiles, horizontal lines represent the median, and whiskers indicate 5th and 95th percentiles, respectively. Repeated measure analysis of variance tests was conducted to compare temporal variations of PFAS concentrations by racial/ethnic groups: P=0.007 for n-PFOA; P=0.02 for n-PFOS; P=0.13 for sm-PFOS; P=0.04 for PFHxS; and P=0.19 for PFNA. Note that a log scale is used for Y axis. The limits of detection were 0.1 ng/mL for all PFAS analytes. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluoroctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Serum concentrations of selected PFAS with detection rates >70% by menstruation status (i.e. whether had menstrual bleeding since last visit) in women (n=75) across the United States for four SWAN visits. Boxes represent the 25th-75th percentiles, horizontal lines represent the median, and whiskers indicate 5th and 95th percentiles, respectively. Repeated measure analysis of variance tests was conducted to compare temporal variations of PFAS concentrations by menstruation status: P=0.31 for n-PFOA; P=0.29 for n-PFOS; P=0.80 for sm-PFOS; P=0.36 for PFHxS; P=0.07 for PFNA. Note that a log scale is used for Y axis. The limits of detection were 0.1 ng/mL for all PFAS analytes. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Serum concentrations of selected PFAS with detection rates >70% by parity status (nulliparous or parous) in women (n=75) across the United States for four SWAN visits. Boxes represent the 25th-75th percentiles, horizontal lines represent the median, and whiskers indicate 5th and 95th percentiles, respectively. Repeated measure analysis of variance tests was conducted to compare temporal variations of PFAS concentrations by parity group: P=0.03 for n-PFOA; P=0.03 for n-PFOS; P=0.19 for sm-PFOS; P=0.99 for PFHxS; P=0.28 for PFNA. Note that a log scale is used for Y axis. The limits of detection were 0.1 ng/mL for all PFAS analytes. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Predicted temporal trends of log-transformed n-PFOA, n-PFOS, sm-PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA serum concentrations at SWAN V03 (1999/2000), V06 (2002/2003), V09 (2005/2006) and V12 (2009/2011), stratified by race/ethnicity, menstruation status and parity, adjusting for age at baseline, study site and body mass index at baseline, based on fixed effects estimated from mixed regression models. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Predicted temporal trends of log-transformed n-PFOA, n-PFOS, sm-PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA serum concentrations at SWAN V03 (1999/2000), V06 (2002/2003), V09 (2005/2006) and V12 (2009/2011), stratified by race/ethnicity, menstruation status and parity, adjusting for age at baseline, study site and body mass index at baseline, based on fixed effects estimated from mixed regression models. Abbreviations: n-PFOA, linear-chain perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA, perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; n-PFOS, linear-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; sm-PFOS, sum of branched-chain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
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