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Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl compounds in the serum and milk of lactating North Carolina women
Citation:
HINES, E. P. AND S. E. FENTON. Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl compounds in the serum and milk of lactating North Carolina women. Presented at Society for the Study of Reproduction, Kona, HI, May 27 - 31, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation @ SSR
Description:
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and their derivatives are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that have been detected in a multitude of terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Some PFAAs bind the human estrogen receptors in vitro. Further, some PFAAs induce estrogen responsive genes and inhibit thyroid hormone biosynthesis genes in fish. At high doses in pregnant laboratory animals, certain PFAAs induce neonatal mortality. These chemicals are used as surfactants in numerous consumer products and are found in drinking water, in products stain-guarded or grease-guarded, in food containers, in fire-fighting foams, and on certain cooking pots and pans. This study provides data on serum and milk concentrations and types of PFAAs in a cohort of North Carolina nursing mothers. The US EPA conducted a study entitled Methods Advancement in Milk Analysis (MAMA) in which 34 North Carolina lactating mothers age 18-38 donated one milk and serum sample at 2-7 weeks post-partum and one at 3-4 months post-partum. Earlier studies in our lab showed that no PFAAs came from the collection method or storage containers. Automated solid-phase extraction coupled to reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine serum and milk concentrations of seven PFAAs [perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), 2-(N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (Et-PFOSA-AcOH), 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (Me-PFOSA-AcOH), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)] with detection limits (LOD) of 0.05-0.2 ng/mL (serum) and 0.2-0.6 ng/mL (milk). All of these compounds except Et-PFOSA-AcOH were detected in a majority of donors’ sera with PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS detected in greater than 98% of samples. Mean values (ng/mL) were 0.1 +/- 0.0 (PFOSA), 0.1+/-0.0 (Et-PFOSA-AcOH), 0.2+/-0.0 (Me-PFOSA-AcOH), 1.7+/-0.2 (PFHxS), 20.5+/-1.2 (PFOS), 3.5+/-0.2 (PFOA), and 1.2+/-0.1 (PFNA). Analysis of milk PFAAs with total samples of n=60 only yielded detectable levels (ng/mL) for PFOSA (n=3, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6), Et-PFOSA-AcOH (n=1, 1.0), and Me-PFOSA-AcOH (n=1, 0.7). These data suggest little if any transfer of PFAAs to breast milk. However, other studies have detected PFAAs (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOSA, perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA)) in breast milk. This discrepancy may be due to a higher sensitivity in other labs (i.e., lower LODs).