Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Acids Raises Cholesterol in Children

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), chemicals used to coat nonstick pots and pans, is associated with higher blood cholesterol levels in children, according to a new study.

Researchers at West Virginia University School of Medicine (WVU, Morgantown, USA), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom), and other institutions conducted a cross-sectional community-based study to interrogate associations between PFOA and PFOS and serum lipids in children and adolescents. The researchers examined a total of 12,476 children and adolescents included in the C8 Health Project, which resulted from the pretrial settlement of a class action lawsuit against DuPont (Wilmington, DE, USA), pursuant to PFOA contamination of drinking water supply. The main outcome measures were serum lipids (high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and fasting triglycerides).

The results showed that the mean serum PFOA and PFOS concentrations were 69.2 ng/mL and 22.7 ng/mL, respectively. After adjustment for covariables, PFOA was significantly associated with increased total cholesterol and LDL-C, and PFOS was significantly associated with increased total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C. The observed effects were nonlinear, with larger increases in total cholesterol and LDL-C levels occurring at the lowest range, particularly of PFOA. Those with the highest levels of PFOS had total cholesterol levels 8.5 mg/dL higher than those with the lowest amounts. PFOS appeared to also increase HDL cholesterol, but neither compound appeared to affect triglyceride levels. The study was published in the September 2010 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

"PFOA and PFOS specifically, and possibly perfluoroalkyl acids as a general class, appear to be associated with serum lipids, and the association seems to exist at levels of PFOA and PFOS exposure that are in the range characterized by nationally representative studies,” concluded lead author Stephanie Frisbee M.Sc., of the department of community medicine at WVU, and colleagues.

PFOA, also known as C8, is a synthetic perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant manufactured since the 1940's in industrial quantities. It has been detected in industrial waste, stain resistant carpets, carpet cleaning liquids, house dust, microwave popcorn bags, water, food, and PTFE. PFOA persists indefinitely in the environment, and is a toxicant and carcinogen in animals. In people, it is detected in the blood of general populations in the low and sub-parts per billion range. As a result of the class-action lawsuit and community settlement with DuPont, epidemiologists are conducting studies on the population surrounding a chemical plant that was exposed to PFOA at levels greater than in the general population; full results from the study are expected in 2011.

Related Links:
West Virginia University School of Medicine
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
DuPont