Longitudinal trends of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Chinese children from birth to 7 years of age
By Bingjie Wu, Shiyang Li, Yiming Li, Weifeng Tang, Zhicao Yuan, Liu Liu, Fei Li, Qianlong Zhang, and Jun Zhang
Environ Int
May 22, 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2026.110323
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants; children may experience high exposure during critical developmental periods, but longitudinal patterns and determinants of early life PFAS burden remain unclear. We quantified 32 PFAS in cord blood at birth and in venous blood-derived samples collected at ages 2, 4, and 7 years among children in the Shanghai Birth Cohort since 2013. The current study included 3089 children with at least one measurement and 1635 children with measurements taken at two or more time points. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate age-related percent changes in ln-transformed PFAS concentrations and associations with child and family characteristics. Hazard quotients were also calculated for immune and hepatic endpoints using available reference values for selected PFAS. From birth to 7 years, several perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCA) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSA) increased by about 6-32% per year, whereas 6:2 and 8:2 chlorinated polyfluoroethersulfonic acids and perfluorooctane sulfonamide declined by roughly 7-15% per year. We identified clear early-life determinants of PFAS trajectories. Higher BMI-for-age was consistently associated with modestly elevated concentrations of most PFCA and PFSA, by 3-7% per unit increase. PFAS concentrations also showed marked stratification by family and residential context, with lower levels among children with at least one parent with a graduate degree and higher levels, and those living in suburban areas. Breastfeeding duration emerged as a time-sensitive contributor, showing strong positive associations at age 2 that attenuated by age 4 and were minimal by age 7. Hazard assessment suggested the greatest potential toxicological concern at age 2, particularly for cumulative immune effects. PFAS concentrations followed distinct, compound-specific temporal patterns from birth through age 7 years. These patterns were further shaped by modifiable early-life exposures, underscoring the need for age-targeted and subgroup-specific strategies to reduce childhood PFAS burdens.
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