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Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden

Nielsen, Christel LU orcid and Jöud, Anna LU orcid (2021) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(20).
Abstract
There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of... (More)
There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of exposure. In Sweden, COVID-19 is subject to mandatory reporting, and we retrieved aggregated data on all verified cases until 3 March 2021 from the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The SIR in Ronneby was estimated at 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12; 1.27). The results suggest a potential link between high PFAS exposure and susceptibility to COVID-19 that warrants further research to clarify causality. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
COVID-19, PFAS, drinking water contamination, public health, immunotoxicity
in
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
volume
18
issue
20
article number
10702
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85116841120
  • pmid:34682448
ISSN
1660-4601
DOI
10.3390/ijerph182010702
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0a642b32-7956-4d7b-aabf-cc12a6dce39c
alternative location
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10702
date added to LUP
2021-10-12 15:40:59
date last changed
2025-10-14 10:37:30
@article{0a642b32-7956-4d7b-aabf-cc12a6dce39c,
  abstract     = {{There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of exposure. In Sweden, COVID-19 is subject to mandatory reporting, and we retrieved aggregated data on all verified cases until 3 March 2021 from the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The SIR in Ronneby was estimated at 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12; 1.27). The results suggest a potential link between high PFAS exposure and susceptibility to COVID-19 that warrants further research to clarify causality.}},
  author       = {{Nielsen, Christel and Jöud, Anna}},
  issn         = {{1660-4601}},
  keywords     = {{COVID-19; PFAS; drinking water contamination; public health; immunotoxicity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{20}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
  title        = {{Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010702}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijerph182010702}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}