A peer-reviewed open access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental Health Perspectives is an Open Access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental Health Perspectives is an Open Access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are used in large quantities. They are persistent and found in measurable levels in human serum around the world. They have been associated with developmental, hepatic, and carcinogenic effects in animal studies. The aim of the present study was to describe levels of PFCs in serum among Inuits from Greenland and inhabitants from Warsaw, Poland and Kharkiv, Ukraine. Furthermore, the aim was to define social- and lifestyle related determinants of exposure for these compounds. Serum levels of seven PFCs were analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were the highest of all PFCs in all three populations with a total amount of almost 90% of the PFCs. The mean levels of PFOS and PFOA were in the Greenlandic Inuits 52 and 4.8 ng mL(-1), in Poland 19 and 5.2 ng mL(-1), and in Ukraine 8.1 and 1.9 ng mL(-1), respectively. Thus, levels of PFCs in the serum of Inuits on Greenland were among the highest described in a general population whereas the levels in Poland were similar to other industrialized countries. The exposure in Ukraine was rather low. In the Greenlandic Inuit population, intake of seafood, tea, age and area of living were significant determinants of PFOS concentrations and explained about 22% of the variation. For the other populations no strong determinants were found.

Background: Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution has recently been linked to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. There are, however, very limited data in healthy young people. We examined the association between air pollutants and indicators of vascular damage in a cohort of young adults. Methods: We used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Young Adults study. We estimated exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5), black smoke, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and various traffic indicators for participants' 2000 home addresses. Exposure for the year 2000 was estimated by land-use regression models incorporating regional background annual air pollution levels, land-use variables, population densities, and traffic intensities on nearby roads. Outcomes were common carotid artery intima-media thickness (n = 745), aortic pulse wave velocity (n = 524), and augmentation index (n = 729). Results: Exposure contrasts were substantial for NO₂, SO₂, and black smoke (5th–95th percentiles = 19.7 to 44.9, 2.5 to 5.2, and 8.6 to 19.4 μg/m³, respectively) and smaller for PM_2.5 (16.5 to 19.9 μg/m³). The variability of carotid artery intima-media thickness was less than for pulse wave velocity and especially augmentation index (5–95th percentiles = 0.42 to 0.58 mm, 4.9 to 7.4 m/s and −12.3% to 27.3%, respectively). No associations were found between any of the pollutants or traffic indicators and carotid artery intima-media thickness, although PM_2.5 effect estimates were in line with previous studies. We observed a 4.1% (95% confidence interval = 0.1% to 8.0%) increase in pulse wave velocity and a 37.6% (2.2% to 72.9%) increase in augmentation index associated with a 25 μg/m³ increase in NO₂, and a 5.3% (0.1% to 10.4%) increase in pulse wave velocity with a 5 μg/m³ increase in SO₂. PM_2.5 and black smoke were not associated with either of these 2 outcomes. Conclusions: Air pollution may accelerate arterial-wall stiffening in young adults. Small outcome variability and lack of residential mobility data may have limited the power to detect an effect on intima-media thickness.