W5 AM Perfluorochemical Monitoring
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 321-323

(CAL-1117-725277) Perfluorochemicals in residents of the United States in 2001 through 2002.

Calafat, A¹, Kuklenyik, Z¹, Reidy, J¹, Tully, J¹, Needham, L¹, ¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

ABSTRACT- Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have been used since the 1950s in many industrial and consumer products, including protective coatings for fabrics and carpet, paper coatings, insecticide formulations, and surfactants. Several PFCs are persistent ubiquitous contaminants found in humans and wildlife, and exposures to PFCs result in potential developmental and other adverse effects in animals. In response to these findings, 3M, a primary manufacturer of PFCs in the United States, phased out the production of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and related compounds starting in 2002. At present, the sources of exposure to PFCs in humans, and the potential health risks associated with exposure are still unclear; both are the subject of investigations worldwide. Demographic differences (e.g., age, sex, race) may exist in human exposure patterns to these compounds. We measured the serum levels of PFOS, perfluorooctanoate, perfluorohexanesulfonate, and several other PFCs in over 50 pooled serum samples collected from 1836 participants 12 years of age and older of the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The pools represented three major race/ethnicity groups (non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Mexican Americans), four age categories (12-19 years, 20-39 years, 40-59 years, and 60 years and older), and both sexes. PFCs were extracted from 100 microL of serum using an on-line solid-phase extraction method coupled to isotope dilution-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of detection ranged from 0.05 ng/mL to 0.2 ng/mL. The distribution of PFCs serum levels in the population groups represented in the pools will be presented and compared to those from several other populations in the United States and abroad.

Key words: Biomonitoring, Exposure, NHANES