Science Inventory

State of the Science on the Health Effects Associated with PFAS Exposure

Citation:

Lambert, J. State of the Science on the Health Effects Associated with PFAS Exposure. The Public Health and Water Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 22 - 24, 2022. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.19330538

Impact/Purpose:

I was recruited by Sally Gutierrez (ORD/CESER) to speak at a water conference; the session in which I am speaking is about PFAS. I will be specifically speaking about the general landscape of health effects associated with PFAS exposures.

Description:

In the early 2000s, concerns grew over the environmental persistence and bioaccumulation potential, and long half_lives in humans of longer chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in particular, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Depending on the information source, PFAS purportedly number from several hundred up to several thousand unique structures. PFAS are highly ubiquitous in commerce and the environment having been found in myriad consumer products, food items, source and finished drinking waters, soil, and air. As such, oral intake of water and food, inhalation, and dermal contact are all plausible modes of PFAS exposure, with the oral route being the presumed primary route of human exposure. PFAS have been detected in human blood and urine samples confirming exposure however, the magnitude of human exposure likely depends on factors such as occupation and living conditions (e.g., proximity to locations that make or use PFAS_containing products, and well_water use). Human epidemiological studies have examined possible associations between PFAS exposure and health outcomes such as alteration of menstruation, reproductive hormones or semen parameters, neonatal and early childhood development, liver and kidney function, lung function (e.g., induction of asthma), altered immune system profile, cancer, and lipid homeostasis (e.g., cholesterol synthesis and storage). Experimental animal studies of repeat_dose oral PFAS exposures have primarily examined noncancer toxicity, although cancer effects have been noted for more well studied PFAS such as PFOA, PFOS, and GenX. The landscape of available rat and mouse studies suggest liver, kidney, thyroid, reproductive, developmental, and lipid/lipoprotein homeostasis as primary health effect domains of potential concern following repeated oral exposures in utero and/or during adulthood. PFAS toxicity via other routes of exposure such as inhalation and dermal have been poorly studied to date although these exposure routes in humans could potentially be important for total body burden. This presentation will provide an overview of the health effect landscape associated with PFAS exposures in humans and experimental animals. The views and opinions expressed in this abstract are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views or opinions of the U.S. EPA