PFAS exposure closely associated with impaired Bone Mineral density, suggests study

A recent study unveiled the potential health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by highlighting the associations between PFAS exposure and impaired bone development in Hispanic adolescents. The findings of the study were published in the Environmental Research journal.

This research included the Study of Latino Adolescents at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes (SOLAR) and the Southern California Children's Health Study (CHS) and focused on the impact of PFAS on bone mineral density (BMD) changes. Also, this research represents the first comprehensive examination of prospective associations between individual PFAS and their mixture with BMD changes specifically in Hispanic youth, a demographic at heightened risk of osteoporosis in adulthood.

By analyzing data from overweight/obese adolescents enrolled in SOLAR (n = 304) and young adults from CHS (n = 137), the study measured plasma PFAS levels at baseline and conducted dual x-ray absorptiometry scans to assess BMD at baseline and follow-up periods. The outcomes revealed a concerning correlation between baseline plasma perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) levels and longitudinal changes in BMD among SOLAR adolescents. Each doubling of PFOS was associated with a significant decrease in trunk BMD over the follow-up period.

Also, these associations persisted into young adulthood, where CHS participants expressed lower total BMD at baseline in relation to increased plasma PFOS levels. Although the longitudinal associations were non-significant in this cohort, which suggests a consistent detrimental effect of PFOS exposure on bone health across adolescence and into early adulthood. The implications of these findings signals a potential threat to future bone health and an increased risk of osteoporosis in adulthood among individuals with heightened PFAS exposure during critical developmental stages. 

Source:

Beglarian, E., Costello, E., Walker, D. I., Wang, H., Alderete, T. L., Chen, Z., Valvi, D., Baumert, B. O., Rock, S., Rubbo, B., Aung, M. T., Gilliland, F. D., Goran, M. I., Jones, D. P., McConnell, R., Eckel, S. P., Conti, D. V., Goodrich, J. A., & Chatzi, L. (2024). Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and longitudinal changes in bone mineral density in adolescents and young adults: A multi-cohort study. In Environmental Research (Vol. 244, p. 117611). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117611