Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Epigenetic Aging in U.S. Airport Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beitel S ; Burgess JL ; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J. ; Calafat, Antonia M. ; Calkins MM ; Furlong M ; Goodrich JM ; Hughes J ; Krause R ; Louzado-Feliciano P ; Matthis R ; Ward LM
• Description:
  Background and Purpose: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals with water- and oil-resistant properties that have been in use since the mid-twentieth century. PFAS exposure has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased risk for cancers, reproductive consequences, obesity, and reductions in immune function. Firefighters are at increased risk of exposure to PFAS from occupational sources, including PFAS-containing aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF), mobilization from burning materials, and water- and oil- resistant turnout gear. Firefighters with aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) duties, including those working at airports, may be at increased risk for PFAS exposure due to AFFF use. We previously identified an association between serum PFAS concentrations and accelerated epigenetic age in structural firefighters. Epigenetic age, approximated via various epigenetic clocks, is a biomarker of aging. Accelerated epigenetic age is associated with morbidity and mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluate the association between serum PFAS and epigenetic age in ARFF firefighters. Methods: Serum concentrations of nine PFAS were quantified via on-line solid phase high-performance extraction liquid chromatography (HPLC) isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry among a subset of 126 airport firefighters from the national Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study. Blood leukocyte DNA methylation was profiled via the Infinium EPIC array. Epigenetic age was approximated with the DNA methylation data via five widely used clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, Skin-Blood, and GrimAge). For eight detected PFAS, linear regression was used to test associations between PFAS and each clock, adjusting for confounders including chronological age, race, and sex. Seven frequently detected PFAS were modeled as continuous concentrations (natural log-transformed) while 2-(N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetate (MeFOSAA) was dichotomized as detected versus not detected. Results: Perfluorohexane sulfonate, linear and branched perfluorooctane sulfonate isomers, linear perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA), perfluorononanoate, perfluorodecanoate, and perfluoroundecanoate were significantly associated with accelerated epigenetic age according to the GrimAge clock with effect estimates ranging from 0.09 to 0.66 (p-values 0.003 to 0.01). n-PFOA was associated with decelerated epigenetic age (effect estimate -2.23, p=0.006) according to the Skin-Blood clock. Detectable MeFOSAA was inversely associated with GrimAge when compared to firefighters with no detected MeFOSAA (effect estimate -0.79, p=0.004). Conclusions: Serum concentrations of multiple PFAS were associated with accelerated epigenetic aging according to the GrimAge epigenetic clock. GrimAge was developed to be a better predictor of all-cause mortality and aging-related diseases compared to other epigenetic clocks. Thus, findings may have implications for PFAS-related morbidities. Decelerations in epigenetic age according to some clocks warrant further investigation. Given the exposure of firefighters to PFAS in their daily work and in their local environments and rapidly-evolving research on the health impacts of PFAS exposure, continued research, including longitudinal studies on PFAS and epigenetic aging, is needed. More data on the sources and impacts of specific PFAS and their impacts on human health are warranted to inform decision-making and best practices for municipalities with ARFF. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Aircraft Biomarkers Firefighters Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Airport Personnel Airports DNA Damage Fire Fighters Fire Suppression Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances PFAS
• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; California ; Florida ; Georgia ; Michigan ; Ohio ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  198
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069329
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2024 Mar; 198(S1):276
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 63rd Annual Meeting & ToxExpo, March 10-14, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e764ed9ac3afa372f1af630319e90c569f56da452c593d91579e9808b8097e53971f55121715e1977c2e4a70821f7d479bb6c5453a118c5176a619fe903901b4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207829/cdc_207829_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 557.67 KB ]