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A snap-shot of reproductive and developmental toxicity of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Citation:
Lau, C. A snap-shot of reproductive and developmental toxicity of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). SETAC, Durham, NC, August 12 - 15, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
The per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of emerging environmental contaminants of high priority for EPA. These chemicals are known for their wide distribution and persistence in the environment as well as in humans. Consequently, concerns for their public health effects have been raised for the past two decades and a substantial body of literature has described their potential adverse outcomes. In order to facilitate human and ecological health risk assessment from exposure to PFAS, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) organizes a focused topic meeting to be held in Durham, NC on August 12-15, 2019. Chris Lau of TAD/NHEERL has been invited to present a brief review the current understanding of reproductive and developmental toxicity of PFAS in the “Human Toxicity” session. This abstract highlights the content of the presentation and provides a basis for the panel/audience discussion.
Description:
Concerns for health effects of PFAS, primarily the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) such as perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and perfluorocarboxylates have been raised for the past two decades. In response, a substantial body of literature is now available addressing the potential reproductive and developmental toxicity of these chemicals (of various carbon chain-length and functional groups). These reports include laboratory studies with rodents and occasionally monkeys, as well as epidemiological surveys of general population and targeted cohorts. By and large, descriptions of altered reproductive function in adults from exposure to PFAA are inconsistent and inconclusive in both animal and human studies. In contrast, adverse pregnancy outcomes ranging from early pregnancy loss to neonatal mortality in the offspring were detected in the rodents from gestational exposure to high doses of long-chain PFAA (such as PFOS, PFOA and PFNA), and altered trajectories of growth and development were seen at lower doses. These effects corresponded well to both toxicokinetics and potency of each PFAA, and appeared to involve the nuclear receptor Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα). Recent reports suggest that developmental toxicity of legacy PFAA can be recapitulated by some of the replacement PFAS (such as polyfluoroethers). The impacts of PFAA exposure on reproductive and developmental outcomes in humans are less certain and inconsistent among studies. Importantly, the effects of PFAS on development of physiological and metabolic functions and long-term sequalae from in utero and early life exposure have been rarely examined (with possible exception of the immune responses), which provides opportunities for future investigation. This abstract does not necessarily reflect U.S. EPA policy.