Pre- and Postnatal Exposure to Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs)

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2010-09, Vol.44 (18), p.7123-7129
• Main Authors: Fromme, Hermann, Mosch, Christine, Morovitz, Maria, Alba-Alejandre, Irene, Boehmer, Sigrun, Kiranoglu, Mandy, Faber, Fabienne, Hannibal, Iris, Genzel-Boroviczény, Orsolya, Koletzko, Berthold, Völkel, Wolfgang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alkanesulfonic Acids - blood; Breastfeeding & lactation; Caprylates - blood; Ecotoxicology and Human Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Fetal Blood - metabolism; Fluorides; Fluorine; Fluorocarbons - blood; Human exposure; Humans; Infant Formula - chemistry; Infant, Newborn; Milk; Milk, Human - chemistry; Mothers; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - blood; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es101184f

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a group of chemicals widely used for many applications. In this study PFCs were investigated in maternal blood during pregnancy (at two time points) (n = 40 and 38) and 6 months after delivery (n = 47), in cord blood (n = 33) and in blood of infants six (n = 40) and nineteen months (n = 24) after birth, and monthly in breast milk samples in Germany. Concentrations in maternal serum ranged from 0.5 to 9.4 μg/L for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and 0.7 to 8.7 μg/L for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In cord serum, the values ranged from 0.3 to 2.8 μg/L and from 0.5 to 4.2 μg/L for PFOS and PFOA, respectively. The median results from serum at six and nineteen months of age were 3.0 and 1.9 μg/L for PFOS and 6.9 and 4.6 μg/L for PFOA, respectively. In breast milk samples, PFOS ranged from