Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and perfluoroalkyl substances in a remote population of Alaska Natives☆
Graphical abstract
Section snippets
Background
The Arctic is a hemispheric sink for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) due to global distillation and bioaccumulation of these compounds (AMAP, 2009, AMAP, 2015). However, relatively little is known about the indoor sources of POPs in remote northern regions. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in many consumer applications to impart beneficial surface characteristics, such as water or stain proofing, or non-stick properties. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of
Methods
Participants were recruited through flyers posted in public spaces, or were directly recruited by bilingual (English-Yupik) research assistants. Inclusion criteria of recruited participants included being 18–45 years old, and having a willing adult participant of the opposite sex from the same home. Participants were excluded for a history of adverse outcomes during blood draws. A total of 85 individuals from 49 homes were recruited for the study. The median age of participants was 29 (range of
Results
Overall concentrations of PFASs in household dust were in the low ng/g range (Table 1). Approximately 95% of dust samples contained at least one detectable PFAS; however, detection rates of individual PFASs were low. PFOA was the most commonly detected compound, detected in 80% of homes at a median concentration of 0.76 ng/g. PFOS was detected in 71% of homes, with a median concentration of 1.40 ng/g. PFHpA was detected in 67% of homes with a median concentration of 0.39 ng/g. Only PFOA, PFOS,
Discussion
Concentrations of PFASs in household dust on St. Lawrence Island appear to be on the lower end of those reported worldwide in other studies. With a few exceptions, PFAS concentrations in the current study were in the low ng/g range. Several studies have discussed the geographic variability in indoor PFAS concentrations, and there appears to be great variation in both the prevalence and concentrations of these compounds in household dust (Goosey and Harrad, 2011, Knobeloch et al., 2012). Studies
Conclusion
Locally collected stickleback indicate a point source of PBDE and PFAS pollution near Gambell, while the lower concentration of these compounds in fish collected elsewhere on the island also suggest that both PFASs and PBDEs are present due to atmospheric deposition. Concentrations of PFASs in household dust from St. Lawrence Island are among the lowest reported in the literature. The proportion of PFNA is enriched in serum as compared to dust. PFNA and PFUnDA are elevated compared to the U.S.
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH R01ES019620). The authors would like to thank the many individuals who contributed to accomplishing this research including Jane Kava, Jesse Gologergen, Erika Apatiki, Kristi Apangalook, Tiffany Immingan, Millie Kingeekuk, Susie Booshu, Sharon Campbell-Aningayou, Naomi Madsen, Shelley Klein-Apatiki, Carolyn Kava, Carol Gologergen, Bobby Ungwiluk, Kevin Zweifel, and Heidi Zimmer. The authors also thank Dr.
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This paper has been recommended for acceptance by Eddy Y. Zeng.