Cited by 94Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchToxic Organic Pollutants ImpactFluorine in Organic Chemistry

Using hair, nail and urine samples for human exposure assessment of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Wang, Yuan, Shi, Yali, Vestergren, Robin, Zhou, Zhen, Liang, Yong, Cai, Yaqi·2018·Science of The Total Environment

Abstract

Non-invasive samples present ethical and practical benefits for investigating human exposure to hazardous contaminants, but analytical challenges and difficulties to interpret the results limit their application in biomonitoring. Here we investigated the potential for using hair, nail and urine samples as a measure of internal exposure to an array of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in two populations with different exposure conditions. Paired urine-serum measurements of PFASs from a group of highly exposed fishery employees displayed strong correlations for PFASs with three to eight perfluorinated carbons (ρ > 0.653; p < 0.01). Consistent statistical correlations and transfer ratios in nails and hair from both populations demonstrated that these non-invasive samples can be used as a measure of internal exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and C8 chlorinated polyfluoralkyl ether sulfonic acid (C8 Cl-PFESA). Contrastingly, the infrequent detections and/or lack of consistent transfer ratios for perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid and short-chain PFASs in hair and nail samples indicate passive uptake from the external environment rather than uptake and internal distribution. Collectively, the study supports the use of urine samples as a valid measure of internal exposure for a range of short- and medium-chain PFASs, while the validity of nail and hair samples as a measure of internal exposure may vary for different PFASs and populations. The ubiquitous detection of C8 Cl-PFESA in all sample matrices from both populations indicates widespread exposure to this contaminant of emerging concern in China.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.279

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Authors
Wang, Y., Shi, Y., Vestergren, R., Zhou, Z., Liang, Y., & Cai, Y.
Affiliations
  • Hebei University of Science and Technology (CN)
  • Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (CN)
  • Stockholm University (SE)
  • Jianghan University (CN)
Corresponding author
Cai, Yaqi
Venue
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-09
Volume
636
Pages
383-391
ISSN
0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2800848211
Cited by
94
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 1
FWCI
3.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (21537004, 21677154, 21722705, 21777182)
  • Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas (2014-514)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB14010201)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
Keywords
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, hair samples, urine samples, internal radiation exposure, transfer ratio, PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, short-chain PFASs, fishermen, emerging contaminants
MeSH terms
China, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Pollutants, Fluorocarbons, Hair, Humans, Nails, Sulfonic Acids

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