Exposure to legacy and replacement PFAS including perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) in a New York City-based pregnancy cohort
TL;DR
Prenatal serum concentrations of 13 PFAS, including PFBS, are measured among 500 participants in the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study between 2016 and 2019 to investigate associations of PFAS exposures with demographic characteristics, including location of residence, and an exploratory factor analysis to investigate common sources of exposure.
Abstract
Relatively few epidemiologic studies in the US have measured the short-chain replacement per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and little is known about its health impacts. We measured prenatal serum concentrations of 13 PFAS, including PFBS, among 500 participants in the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study (NYU CHES) between 2016 and 2019. We investigated associations of PFAS exposures with demographic characteristics, including location of residence, and conducted an exploratory factor analysis to investigate common sources of exposure. PFBS concentrations were quantified in 95.6% of samples (median 0.40 ng/mL), which was unexpectedly higher than serum PFBS concentrations reported in other US-based cohorts. PFBS concentrations were not correlated with other PFAS, though they were positively correlated with each other. Unlike other PFAS, PFBS concentrations were not associated with participant characteristics, and there was no evidence for spatial autocorrelation. The changing PFAS exposure landscape warrants further investigation into the health effects of short-chain replacements, particularly in vulnerable populations.