Cited by 100Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchToxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEffects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Exposure of Norwegian Toddlers to Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): The Association with Breastfeeding and Maternal PFAS Concentrations

Papadopoulou, Eleni, Sabaredzovic, Azemira, Namork, Ellen, Nygaard, Unni C., Granum, Berit, Haug, Line S.·2016·Environment International

Abstract

High exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been associated with adverse health effects in children. PFASs exposure pathways of toddlers might differ from those of infants and adults, and the investigations on determinants of PFASs exposure in early childhood are scarce. Our aims were to examine the PFAS blood concentrations in Norwegian toddlers and to assess their relationship with maternal PFAS concentrations in pregnancy and breastfeeding duration. We determined PFAS concentrations in 112 plasma samples of 3-year-old children collected at 2010-2011 and 99 maternal serum samples collected around delivery at 2007-2008. PFAS concentrations in children were regressed on duration of breastfeeding, and the effect modification by maternal prenatal PFAS concentrations was examined in 55 mother-child pairs. Six PFASs were quantifiable in >50% of both maternal and children samples. Positive and significant correlations ranging between 0.50 and 0.66 were found between maternal and child concentrations of the same PFAS congeners. Nevertheless, toddlers had higher total PFAS blood concentrations than their mothers, due to higher concentrations of PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS. Every month of breastfeeding was associated with an increase of 3.3% (95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 0.8-5.8) for PFOS, 4.7% (95%CI: 2.8-6.6) for PFOA and 6.1% (95% CI: 2.6-9.7) for PFHpS in toddlers' plasma and a dose-response association was found, after adjustment for confounders. However, PFNA and PFUnDA concentrations in children were not associated with either maternal concentrations or breastfeeding duration. Our findings suggest that transplacental transfer, prenatally, and breastfeeding, postanatally, are among the main determinants of PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFHpS concentrations in toddlers, while that was not the case for PFNA and PFUnDA. Nevertheless, due to the small number of mother child-pairs in our study, our results should be interpreted with caution.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.envint.2016.07.006

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  • A 2023 study observed that toddlers had higher total PFAS concentrations than their mothers, with each additional month of breastfeeding associated with plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpS increases of 3.3%, 4.7%, and 6.1%, respectively.

    “A 2023 study observed that toddlers had higher total PFAS concentrations than their mothers, with each additional month of breastfeeding associated with plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpS increases of 3.3%, 4.7%, and 6.1%, respectively [65].”
  • Toddlers show higher PFASs than mothers-with plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpS increasing by 3.3%, 4.7%, and 6.1% per month of breastfeeding, respectively.

    “Exclusive breastfeeding correlates with up to a 30% monthly increase in infant PFAS levels, while toddlers show higher PFASs than mothers—with plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpS increasing by 3.3%, 4.7%, and 6.1% per month of breastfeeding, respectively [52,64,65,81,119].”
  • Exclusive breastfeeding correlates with up to a 30% monthly increase in infant PFAS levels.

    “Exclusive breastfeeding correlates with up to a 30% monthly increase in infant PFAS levels, while toddlers show higher PFASs than mothers—with plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpS increasing by 3.3%, 4.7%, and 6.1% per month of breastfeeding, respectively [52,64,65,81,119].”

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Authors
Papadopoulou, E., Sabaredzovic, A., Namork, E., Nygaard, U. C., Granum, B., & Haug, L. S.
Affiliations
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
Corresponding author
Papadopoulou, Eleni
Venue
Environment International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-09
Volume
94
Pages
687-694
ISSN
0160-4120 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2490629395
Cited by
100
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1
FWCI
4.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Environment International (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Commission
  • Helse- og Omsorgsdepartementet
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2 UO1 NS 047537-06A1)
  • Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium
  • Sixth Framework Programme (FOOD-CT-2005- 016,320)
  • Norges Idrettshøgskole
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (N01-ES-75558)
  • Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
Keywords
perfluorinated compounds, PFAS exposure, toddlers, breastfeeding duration, prenatal exposure, transplacental transfer, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpS, PFNA, perfluoroundecanoic acid, plasma concentration, dose-response relationship, early childhood exposure
MeSH terms
Adult, Breast Feeding, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Fluorocarbons, Humans, Infant, Maternal-Fetal Exchange, Norway, Pregnancy, Maternal Exposure

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