PFAS exposure associated with lipid markers in 12-year-olds

Researchers examined associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and metabolic biomarkers in 451 children aged approximately 12 years from the French PELAGIE mother–child cohort. Six PFAS were measured alongside cholesterol fractions, triglycerides, fructosamine, leptin and adiponectin. Analyses used adjusted multivariable regression and mixture models, with stratification by sex and pubertal stage. Blood samples were collected in a non-fasting state.

PFAS were detected in all serum samples. In the overall population, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) was associated with higher total and LDL cholesterol. Among pre-menarcheal girls, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and the PFAS mixture were positively associated with these cholesterol markers. In peripubertal boys, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were associated with higher triglycerides, whereas perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was associated with lower triglycerides in postpubertal boys. Effect sizes and confidence intervals were not provided in the supplied text.

The findings suggest that pubertal stage may be important when assessing associations between environmental exposures and adolescent metabolic health. However, simultaneous exposure and biomarker measurements cannot establish temporal sequence or causality, and biomarker associations do not establish future cardiometabolic disease risk. Longitudinal investigations are needed to clarify these relationships.