Pediatric Exposures to Persistent Environmental Chemicals

Abstract

Traditional risk factors are responsible for about 70% of the population attributable
risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).1 Common environmental exposures are known to be
responsible for some portion of the remaining 30%. Therefore, it is important to study chemicals
like the class known as Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFCs) or Perfluoroalkyl Substances
(PSASs). Two of the most highly studied PFCs are Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA or C8) and
Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS or C8S). PFCs are persistent in the environment and associations
have been shown with a whole host of negative health outcomes in laboratory animals,
including endocrine-disrupting properties as well as developmental effects.2 To make matters
worse, PFCs have been detected in the blood of >98% of the US population3 and epidemiological
studies have demonstrated associations between PFOA and PFOS, and many negative
health outcomes such as cancer,4 CVD,5 osteoarthritis,6 hyperuricemia,7 pregnancy-induced
hypertension,8 endocrine disruption,9 dyslipidemia,10,11 and reproductive effects,12,13 often times
even at baseline levels typical of the general population’s exposure level.