Temporal development of serum profiles of perfluorinated compounds in children up to age 13

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are persistent chemicals with unique chemical and physical properties; they are widely used in numerous industrial and consumer products. Knowledge on health effects in humans is sparse, but our group recently reported elevated exposures to PFCs were associated with reduced humoral immune response to routine childhood immunizations in children. We present data from repeated measures of PFCs in 20 Faroese children; from prenatal exposure (maternal serum and cord serum/whole blood) and at the ages of 11 months, 18 months, 5 years, 7 years and 13 years. Maternal and fetal levels were significantly correlated for all PFCs with median concentrations in cord serum ranging between 30-79 % of the maternal concentrations, while cord whole blood levels were lower. The apparent partition of the PFCs across the placental barrier varied according to chain length, branching and active group. Increasing chain length was associated with decreased passage. Highly significant correlations were observed between serum concentrations of PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS (branched as well as linear), PFNA and PFDA at 11 and 18 month as well as at 5 and 7 years, thus possibly indicating that sources of exposure in children are relatively consistent. Sampling from 656 children at age 13 years will be completed medio 2013 and the results from these samples will also be presented. The repeated measurements of PFCs from prenatal exposure to age 13 years will be included in a statistical model for prediction of PFC concentrations in blood.