Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Prenatal exposure to a mixture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lung function and immune-related outcomes among males in childhood and young adulthood

Hull, Sidsel Dan ; Ferguson, Kelly K. ; London, Stephanie J. ; Hougaard, Karin Sørig ; Lindh, Christian LU orcid ; Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig ; Flachs, Esben Meulengracht ; Wise, Lauren A. ; Wilcox, Allen J. and Liew, Zeyan , et al. (2025) In Environmental Research 286.
Abstract

Background: Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may influence lung and immune system development, but previous epidemiological studies are inconclusive and have not extended into young adulthood. Objective: To examine associations between prenatal exposure to a mixture of PFAS and respiratory and immune-related outcomes in a cohort of males. Methods: We studied 866 males with maternal pregnancy plasma measured for 15 PFAS, triclosan, and 10 phthalate metabolites used as a proxy for prenatal exposure. Spirometry was measured at approximately age 19 years. Asthma in young adulthood was reported in questionnaires at age 18 years. Asthma, hay fever, and eczema at 7 and 11 years of age were based on parental... (More)

Background: Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may influence lung and immune system development, but previous epidemiological studies are inconclusive and have not extended into young adulthood. Objective: To examine associations between prenatal exposure to a mixture of PFAS and respiratory and immune-related outcomes in a cohort of males. Methods: We studied 866 males with maternal pregnancy plasma measured for 15 PFAS, triclosan, and 10 phthalate metabolites used as a proxy for prenatal exposure. Spirometry was measured at approximately age 19 years. Asthma in young adulthood was reported in questionnaires at age 18 years. Asthma, hay fever, and eczema at 7 and 11 years of age were based on parental reports. We estimated the difference in spirometry measures and odds ratios (ORs) for questionnaire outcomes per one-interquartile range (IQR) increase in a mixture of seven well-detected PFAS using quantile g-computation models. Subsequently, we examined a mixture of seven PFAS, two phthalate metabolites and triclosan, and ran single-pollutant analyses. Results: A one-IQR increase in the PFAS mixture was associated with lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (milliliter difference [95 % CI]: 85 [-160;-9], −88 [-173;-3], respectively), but not FEV1/FVC. Higher concentration of the PFAS mixture was also associated with lower odds of a history of and current hay fever (OR [95 % CI]: 0.52 [0.34; 0.80], 0.49 [0.30; 0.81], respectively), but not asthma or eczema. Associations did not change substantially when including phthalate metabolites and triclosan to the PFAS mixture and single-pollutant analyses were overall consistent with the mixture analyses. Conclusion: Prenatal PFAS exposure was associated with lower FEV1 and FVC in a cohort of young adult males, suggesting an impact on lung development. Associations with reduced hay fever in childhood may suggest influences on immune maturation. Potential sex-specific effects should be addressed in future studies.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chemical mixture, DNBC, FEPOS, Immune-related outcomes, Phthalate metabolites, Quantile g-computation, Spirometry, Triclosan
in
Environmental Research
volume
286
article number
122746
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:40907682
  • scopus:105015151683
ISSN
0013-9351
DOI
10.1016/j.envres.2025.122746
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9e272c35-eea0-4963-afd3-800bfb76581c
date added to LUP
2025-10-02 14:30:20
date last changed
2025-11-27 19:46:22
@article{9e272c35-eea0-4963-afd3-800bfb76581c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may influence lung and immune system development, but previous epidemiological studies are inconclusive and have not extended into young adulthood. Objective: To examine associations between prenatal exposure to a mixture of PFAS and respiratory and immune-related outcomes in a cohort of males. Methods: We studied 866 males with maternal pregnancy plasma measured for 15 PFAS, triclosan, and 10 phthalate metabolites used as a proxy for prenatal exposure. Spirometry was measured at approximately age 19 years. Asthma in young adulthood was reported in questionnaires at age 18 years. Asthma, hay fever, and eczema at 7 and 11 years of age were based on parental reports. We estimated the difference in spirometry measures and odds ratios (ORs) for questionnaire outcomes per one-interquartile range (IQR) increase in a mixture of seven well-detected PFAS using quantile g-computation models. Subsequently, we examined a mixture of seven PFAS, two phthalate metabolites and triclosan, and ran single-pollutant analyses. Results: A one-IQR increase in the PFAS mixture was associated with lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV<sub>1</sub>) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (milliliter difference [95 % CI]: 85 [-160;-9], −88 [-173;-3], respectively), but not FEV<sub>1</sub>/FVC. Higher concentration of the PFAS mixture was also associated with lower odds of a history of and current hay fever (OR [95 % CI]: 0.52 [0.34; 0.80], 0.49 [0.30; 0.81], respectively), but not asthma or eczema. Associations did not change substantially when including phthalate metabolites and triclosan to the PFAS mixture and single-pollutant analyses were overall consistent with the mixture analyses. Conclusion: Prenatal PFAS exposure was associated with lower FEV<sub>1</sub> and FVC in a cohort of young adult males, suggesting an impact on lung development. Associations with reduced hay fever in childhood may suggest influences on immune maturation. Potential sex-specific effects should be addressed in future studies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hull, Sidsel Dan and Ferguson, Kelly K. and London, Stephanie J. and Hougaard, Karin Sørig and Lindh, Christian and Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig and Flachs, Esben Meulengracht and Wise, Lauren A. and Wilcox, Allen J. and Liew, Zeyan and Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia Høst and Toft, Gunnar and Bonde, Jens Peter and Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard}},
  issn         = {{0013-9351}},
  keywords     = {{Chemical mixture; DNBC; FEPOS; Immune-related outcomes; Phthalate metabolites; Quantile g-computation; Spirometry; Triclosan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Research}},
  title        = {{Prenatal exposure to a mixture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lung function and immune-related outcomes among males in childhood and young adulthood}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122746}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envres.2025.122746}},
  volume       = {{286}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}