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Concentration of perfluorinated compounds and cotinine in human foetal organs, placenta, and maternal plasma

Mamsen, Linn Salto ; Jönsson, Bo A LU ; Lindh, Christian H. LU orcid ; Olesen, Rasmus H. ; Larsen, Agnete ; Ernst, Erik ; Kelsey, Thomas W. and Andersen, Claus Yding (2017) In Science of the Total Environment 596-597. p.97-105
Abstract

Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are bio-accumulative pollutants, and prenatal exposure to PFASs is believed to impact human foetal development and may have long-term adverse health effects later in life. Additionally, maternal cigarette smoking may be associated with PFAS levels. Foetal exposure has previously been estimated from umbilical cord plasma, but the actual concentration in foetal organs has never been measured. Objectives The concentrations of 5 PFASs and cotinine – the primary metabolite of nicotine – were measured in human foetuses, placentas, and maternal plasma to evaluate to what extent these compounds were transferred from mother to foetus and to determine if the PFAS concentrations were associated with... (More)

Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are bio-accumulative pollutants, and prenatal exposure to PFASs is believed to impact human foetal development and may have long-term adverse health effects later in life. Additionally, maternal cigarette smoking may be associated with PFAS levels. Foetal exposure has previously been estimated from umbilical cord plasma, but the actual concentration in foetal organs has never been measured. Objectives The concentrations of 5 PFASs and cotinine – the primary metabolite of nicotine – were measured in human foetuses, placentas, and maternal plasma to evaluate to what extent these compounds were transferred from mother to foetus and to determine if the PFAS concentrations were associated with maternal cigarette smoking. Methods Thirty-nine Danish women who underwent legal termination of pregnancy before gestational week 12 were included; 24 maternal blood samples were obtained together with 34 placental samples and 108 foetal organs. PFASs and cotinine were assayed by liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Results In foetal organs, the average concentrations of perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDa), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were 0.6 ng/g, 0.2 ng/g, 0.1 ng/g, 0.1 ng/g, and 0.1 ng/g, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the exposure duration, defined as foetal age, and foetal to maternal ratio for all five PFASs and cotinine. Smokers presented 99 ng/g cotinine in plasma, 108 ng/g in placenta, and 61 ng/g in foetal organs. No correlation between the maternal cotinine concentrations and PFAS concentrations was found. Conclusions PFASs were transferred from mother to foetus, however, with different efficiencies. The concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFUnDA, and PFDA in foetal organs were much lower than the maternal concentrations. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the exposure duration and all of the evaluated PFASs was found. The health-compromising concentrations of these substances during foetal development are unknown.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cigarette smoke, Maternal plasma, Perfluorinated compounds, Placenta, Prenatal exposure
in
Science of the Total Environment
volume
596-597
pages
9 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85017539952
  • pmid:28426990
  • wos:000401557600012
ISSN
0048-9697
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.058
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
672be877-ed9b-4573-89c2-5829fb6e7367
date added to LUP
2017-05-08 10:08:01
date last changed
2024-06-09 15:55:06
@article{672be877-ed9b-4573-89c2-5829fb6e7367,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are bio-accumulative pollutants, and prenatal exposure to PFASs is believed to impact human foetal development and may have long-term adverse health effects later in life. Additionally, maternal cigarette smoking may be associated with PFAS levels. Foetal exposure has previously been estimated from umbilical cord plasma, but the actual concentration in foetal organs has never been measured. Objectives The concentrations of 5 PFASs and cotinine – the primary metabolite of nicotine – were measured in human foetuses, placentas, and maternal plasma to evaluate to what extent these compounds were transferred from mother to foetus and to determine if the PFAS concentrations were associated with maternal cigarette smoking. Methods Thirty-nine Danish women who underwent legal termination of pregnancy before gestational week 12 were included; 24 maternal blood samples were obtained together with 34 placental samples and 108 foetal organs. PFASs and cotinine were assayed by liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Results In foetal organs, the average concentrations of perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDa), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were 0.6 ng/g, 0.2 ng/g, 0.1 ng/g, 0.1 ng/g, and 0.1 ng/g, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the exposure duration, defined as foetal age, and foetal to maternal ratio for all five PFASs and cotinine. Smokers presented 99 ng/g cotinine in plasma, 108 ng/g in placenta, and 61 ng/g in foetal organs. No correlation between the maternal cotinine concentrations and PFAS concentrations was found. Conclusions PFASs were transferred from mother to foetus, however, with different efficiencies. The concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFUnDA, and PFDA in foetal organs were much lower than the maternal concentrations. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the exposure duration and all of the evaluated PFASs was found. The health-compromising concentrations of these substances during foetal development are unknown.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mamsen, Linn Salto and Jönsson, Bo A and Lindh, Christian H. and Olesen, Rasmus H. and Larsen, Agnete and Ernst, Erik and Kelsey, Thomas W. and Andersen, Claus Yding}},
  issn         = {{0048-9697}},
  keywords     = {{Cigarette smoke; Maternal plasma; Perfluorinated compounds; Placenta; Prenatal exposure}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  pages        = {{97--105}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Science of the Total Environment}},
  title        = {{Concentration of perfluorinated compounds and cotinine in human foetal organs, placenta, and maternal plasma}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.058}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.058}},
  volume       = {{596-597}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}