Cord Serum Concentrations of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in Relation to Weight and Size at Birth

Background Recent studies have reported developmental toxicity among rodents dosed with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Objectives We examined the relationship between concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in cord serum (surrogates for in utero exposures) and gestational age, birth weight, and birth size in humans. Methods We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study of singleton deliveries in Baltimore, Maryland. Cord serum samples (n = 293) were analyzed for PFOS and PFOA by online solid-phase extraction, coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Maternal characteristics and anthropometric measures were obtained from medical charts. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, both PFOS and PFOA were negatively associated with birth weight [per ln-unit: β = −69 g, 95% confidence interval (CI), −149 to 10 for PFOS; β = −104 g, 95% CI, −213 to 5 for PFOA], ponderal index (per ln-unit: β = −0.074 g/cm3 × 100, 95% CI, −0.123 to −0.025 for PFOS; β = −0.070 g/cm3 × 100, 95% CI, −0.138 to −0.001 for PFOA), and head circumference (per ln-unit: β = −0.32 cm, 95% CI, −0.56 to −0.07 for PFOS; β = −0.41 cm, 95% CI, −0.76 to −0.07 for PFOA). No associations were observed between either PFOS or PFOA concentrations and newborn length or gestational age. All associations were independent of cord serum lipid concentrations. Conclusions Despite relatively low cord serum concentrations, we observed small negative associations between both PFOS and PFOA concentrations and birth weight and size. Future studies should attempt to replicate these findings in other populations.

[1]  M. Kramer,et al.  Impact of intrauterine growth retardation and body proportionality on fetal and neonatal outcome. , 1990, Pediatrics.

[2]  C. Lau,et al.  The developmental toxicity of perfluoroalkyl acids and their derivatives. , 2004, Toxicology and applied pharmacology.

[3]  F. Gilliland,et al.  Serum perfluorooctanoic acid and hepatic enzymes, lipoproteins, and cholesterol: a study of occupationally exposed men. , 1996, American journal of industrial medicine.

[4]  C. Elcombe,et al.  Sub-chronic dietary toxicity of potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate in rats. , 2003, Toxicology.

[5]  A. Calafat,et al.  Measurement of 18 perfluorinated organic acids and amides in human serum using on-line solid-phase extraction. , 2005, Analytical chemistry.

[6]  M. Kramer,et al.  Body proportionality and head and length 'sparing' in growth-retarded neonates: a critical reappraisal. , 1989, Pediatrics.

[7]  Gerald L Kennedy,et al.  The reproductive toxicology of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) in the rat. , 2004, Toxicology.

[8]  J. V. Vanden Heuvel,et al.  Covalent binding of perfluorinated fatty acids to proteins in the plasma, liver and testes of rats. , 1992, Chemico-biological interactions.

[9]  P. Rosso,et al.  Time Course of Maternal Plasma Volume and Hormonal Changes in Women With Preeclampsia or Fetal Growth Restriction , 2006, Hypertension.

[10]  R. Goodlin.  Maternal plasma volume expansion and hormonal changes in women with idiopathic fetal growth retardation. , 1993, Obstetrics and gynecology.

[11]  D. Barker,et al.  Adult Consequences of Fetal Growth Restriction , 2006, Clinical obstetrics and gynecology.

[12]  M. Stanton,et al.  Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate during pregnancy in rat and mouse. II: postnatal evaluation. , 2003, Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology.

[13]  Rolf U Halden,et al.  Determinants of fetal exposure to polyfluoroalkyl compounds in Baltimore, Maryland. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[14]  Bruce H Alexander,et al.  Self-Reported Medical Conditions in Perfluorooctanesulfonyl Fluoride Manufacturing Workers , 2007, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[15]  O. Spydevold,et al.  The mechanism underlying the hypolipemic effect of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOSA) and clofibric acid. , 1992, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[16]  P. Rosso,et al.  Maternal Plasma Volume Expansion and Hormonal Changes in Women With Idiopathic Fetal Growth Retardation , 1993, Obstetrics and gynecology.

[17]  Christopher S Lau,et al.  Prenatal window of susceptibility to perfluorooctane sulfonate-induced neonatal mortality in the Sprague-Dawley rat. , 2003, Birth defects research. Part B, Developmental and reproductive toxicology.

[18]  José L Domingo,et al.  Interactions in developmental toxicology: concurrent exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and stress in pregnant mice. , 2006, Toxicology letters.

[19]  Y. Cheung,et al.  Size at birth and neonatal and postneonatal mortality , 2002, Acta paediatrica.

[20]  L. Vatten,et al.  Prenatal growth in symmetric and asymmetric small-for-gestational-age infants. , 1997, Early human development.

[21]  J. Mandel,et al.  Serum perfluorooctane sulfonate and hepatic and lipid clinical chemistry tests in fluorochemical production employees. , 1999, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[22]  Wenyue Hu,et al.  Binding of perfluorinated fatty acids to serum proteins , 2003, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[23]  C. Lau,et al.  Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate during pregnancy in rat and mouse. I: maternal and prenatal evaluations. , 2003, Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology.

[24]  A. Calafat,et al.  Serum concentrations of 11 polyfluoroalkyl compounds in the u.s. population: data from the national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES). , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  F. Witter,et al.  A new device for safer collection of postpartum cord blood , 2001, International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

[26]  R. Fay,et al.  Ponderal Index: A Better Definition of the ‘At Risk’ Group With Intrauterine Growth Problems than Birth‐weight for Gestational Age in Term Infants , 1991, The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology.

[27]  R N Bergman,et al.  Insulin resistance in short children with intrauterine growth retardation. , 1997, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[28]  J. R. Akins,et al.  Development and validation of sensitive method for determination of serum cotinine in smokers and nonsmokers by liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry. , 1997, Clinical chemistry.

[29]  T. M. Cole,et al.  The relationship in neonates between clinically measured head circumference and brain volume estimated from head CT-scans. , 1999, Early human development.

[30]  R. Hornung,et al.  Estimation of Average Concentration in the Presence of Nondetectable Values , 1990 .

[31]  Andrea Pfahles-Hutchens,et al.  The Applicability of Biomonitoring Data for Perfluorooctanesulfonate to the Environmental Public Health Continuum , 2006, Environmental health perspectives.

[32]  Jeffrey H Mandel,et al.  Epidemiologic Assessment of Worker Serum Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) Concentrations and Medical Surveillance Examinations , 2003, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[33]  John Keenan Taylor.  Quality Assurance of Chemical Measurements , 1981 .

[34]  G. Olsen,et al.  Subchronic toxicity studies on perfluorooctanesulfonate potassium salt in cynomolgus monkeys. , 2002, Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology.

[35]  R. G. York,et al.  Neonatal mortality from in utero exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in Sprague-Dawley rats: dose-response, and biochemical and pharamacokinetic parameters. , 2005, Toxicology.

[36]  Derek C G Muir,et al.  Biological monitoring of polyfluoroalkyl substances: A review. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[37]  R. Matorras,et al.  Neonatal morbidity associated with disproportionate intrauterine growth retardation at term. , 1998, Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

[38]  Bernard Guyer,et al.  Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2004 , 2006, Pediatrics.

[39]  D. Loomis,et al.  Varied Forms of Bias Due to Nondifferential Error in Measuring Exposure , 1994, Epidemiology.

[40]  H. Akaike,et al.  Information Theory and an Extension of the Maximum Likelihood Principle , 1973 .

[41]  M. A. Mohd,et al.  Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in human blood from several countries. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[42]  L. Woollett.  The origins and roles of cholesterol and fatty acids in the fetus , 2001, Current opinion in lipidology.

[43]  J. Giesy,et al.  Global distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate in wildlife. , 2001, Environmental science & technology.

[44]  Nathan M. Bass,et al.  Interactions of flurochemicals with rat liver fatty acid-binding protein , 2002 .

[45]  R. G. York,et al.  Two-generation reproduction and cross-foster studies of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in rats. , 2005, Toxicology.

[46]  C. Lau,et al.  Effects of perfluorooctanoic acid exposure during pregnancy in the mouse. , 2006, Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology.

[47]  A. Seacat,et al.  Interactions of fluorochemicals with rat liver fatty acid-binding protein. , 2002, Toxicology.

[48]  M. Onis,et al.  The differential neonatal morbidity of the intrauterine growth retardation syndrome. , 1990, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.