PFAS exposure in 12-year-old children and its association with metabolic markers

BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are long-lasting industrial chemicals with widespread exposure, but their effects on adolescent cardiometabolic health remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study evaluated associations between PFAS concentrations and metabolic biomarkers at age 12. METHODS: The study included 451 participants from the French PELAGIE mother-child cohort. At age 12, serum levels of six PFAS and metabolic biomarkers (leptin, adiponectin, fructosamine, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) were measured. Cross-sectional associations were assessed using multivariable linear regression models and Quantile G-computation mixture models, adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by sex and pubertal stage. RESULTS: In the overall population, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) was associated with higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. In pre-menarcheal girls, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) was associated with higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, and PFAS mixture analyses also showed positive associations with these lipid markers. In boys, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were associated with higher triglyceride levels in peripubertal boys, whereas perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was associated with lower triglyceride levels in postpubertal boys. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate potential associations between PFAS exposure and metabolic biomarkers at age 12, with variations by sex and pubertal status, emphasizing the need for longitudinal investigations. IMPACT: PFAS were detected in all serum samples, showing widespread exposure among the adolescents. Exposure to PFAS was associated with blood lipid markers at age 12, with differences in associations observed across sex- and pubertal stage-specific groups. This study is one of the few to consider the stage of pubertal development in the associations between PFAS and metabolic health markers. The findings suggest that pubertal development should be considered when evaluating the health effects of PFAS exposure during adolescence.