Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Plasma Concentrations and Bone Mineral Density in Midchildhood: A Cross-Sectional Study (Project Viva, United States)
By Rachel Cluett, Shravanthi M. Seshasayee, Lisa B. Rokoff, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, Xiaoyun Ye, Antonia M. Calafat, Diane R. Gold, Brent Coull, Catherine M. Gordon, Clifford J. Rosen, Emily Oken, Sharon K. Sagiv, and Abby F. Fleisch
Environ. Health Perspect.
August 21, 2019
DOI: 10.1289/EHP4918
Background
Identifying factors that impair bone accrual during childhood is a critical step toward osteoporosis prevention. Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been associated with lower bone mineral density, but data are limited, particularly in children.
Methods
We studied 576 children in Project Viva, a Boston-area cohort of mother/child pairs recruited prenatally from 1999 to 2002. We quantified plasma concentrations of several PFASs and measured areal bone mineral density (aBMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in midchildhood. We used linear regression to examine associations between plasma concentrations of individual PFASs and aBMD z-score. We used weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to examine the association of the PFAS mixture with aBMD z-score. All models were adjusted for maternal age, education, annual household income, census tract median household income, and child age, sex, race/ethnicity, dairy intake, physical activity, and year of blood draw.
Results
Children were [[Formula: see text]] [Formula: see text] of age. The highest PFAS plasma concentrations were of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) {median [interquartile range (IQR)]: 6.4 (5.6) ng/mL} and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) [median (IQR): 4.4 (3.2) ng/mL]. Using linear regression, children with higher plasma concentrations of PFOA, PFOS, and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) had lower aBMD z-scores [e.g., [Formula: see text]: [Formula: see text]; 95% confidence interval (CI): [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] per doubling of PFOA]. The PFAS mixture was negatively associated with aBMD z-score ([Formula: see text]: [Formula: see text]; 95% CI: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] per IQR increment of the mixture index).
Conclusions
PFAS exposure may impair bone accrual in childhood and peak bone mass, an important determinant of lifelong skeletal health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4918.
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