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U.S. Domestic Cats as Sentinels for Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Possible Linkages with Housing, Obesity and Disease
Citation:
Bost, P., M. Strynar, J. Reiner, J. Zweigenbaum, P. Secoura, A. Lindstrom, AND J. Dye. U.S. Domestic Cats as Sentinels for Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Possible Linkages with Housing, Obesity and Disease. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH. Academic Press Incorporated, Orlando, FL, 151:145-153, (2016).
Impact/Purpose:
Despite routine detection of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human serum in the ng/mL ranges, routes of human exposure are not well understood and corresponding health risks remain unclear. Within home exposure is likely important since many consumer products have been treated with different PFAS, and people spend much of their lives indoors. Because domestic cats may be acutely or chronically exposed to many of the same agents as their human companions often sharing the same drinking water, commercial food sources or food packaging, and, depending on their housing status comparable indoor or outdoor spaces, herein, domestic cats were used as sentinels to assess potential PFAS exposure and health linkages. A one health, multidisciplinary approach ― with collaboration across environmental analytical, exposure, and health scientists ― was used to assess and show associations between increased ∑PFAS in cats with living indoors and with obesity. In the U.S., obesity is a growing problem in both pets and people. Pet cats represent an underutilized resource by which to explore relationships between chronic POP exposure via indoor environments and adverse health outcomes. With this approach, one can gain improved understanding of shared environmental exposures and health risk for humans and pets alike.
Description:
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) , are persistent, globally distributed, anthropogenic compounds. The primary source(s) for human exposure are not well understood although within home exposure is likely important since many consumer products have been treated with different PFAS, and people spend much of their lives indoors. Herein, domestic cats were used as sentinels to investigate potential exposure and health linkages. PFAS in serum samples of 72 pet and feral cats, including 11 healthy and 61 with one or more primary disease diagnoses, were quantitated using high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. All but one sample had detectable PFAS, with PFOS and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) ranging from
