Serum Concentration of Selected per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) by Industry and Occupational Groups Among US Adult Workers, NHANES 2005–2014

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anderson S ; Charles LE ; Dzubak L ; Gu JK ; McCanlies E ; Mnatsakanova A
• Description:
  Purpose: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with multiple adverse health effects including hormonal disruption, immune system disorder, cognitive decline, cancer, and increased mortality rates. Millions of US workers continue to be exposed to PFAS compounds through their workplaces. Our objective was to estimate the serum levels of the five most common PFAS compounds (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)) among US adult workers. Methods: Participants were 4,476 workers aged ≥20 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005-2014. Geometric mean serum levels of PFAS (ng/mL) were obtained across industry and occupation groups using the PFAS subsample weight variable in SAS-callable SUDAAN V11. Results: Among the 21 industry groups, the highest mean PFAS levels were observed in Construction (PFOS=12.61 ng/mL, PFOA=3.76, PFHxS=2.10, PFNA=1.23, and PFDA=0.33), followed by Utilities (PFOS=12.46), and Real Estate/Rental/Leasing (PFOS=12.15). The lowest mean PFAS levels were seen in Private Households (PFOS=6.34, PFOA=2.12, PFHxS=0.75, PFNA=0.86, and PFDA=0.25). Among the 22 occupation groups, the highest mean PFAS levels were observed in Life/Physical/Social Science occupations (PFOS=13.19, PFOA=3.54, PFHxS=1.69, PFNA=1.23, and PFDA=0.33), followed by Installation/Maintenance/Repair occupations (PFOS=12.75), and Construction/Extraction occupations (PFOS=12.15). The lowest mean PFAS levels were found in Personal Care/Service occupations (PFOS=7.25, PFOA=2.43, PFHxS=1.07, PFNA=0.94, and PFDA=0.25). Conclusions: Elevated mean levels of PFAS in serum were observed in some industry and occupation groups. Future investigation of industry/occupation groups is warranted to better understand the degree of occupational exposure to PFAS. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Epidemiology Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Occupational Exposure Occupations Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances PFAS
• ISSN:
  1047-2797
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  97
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070237
• Citation:
  Ann Epidemiol 2024 Sep; 97:106
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Epidemiology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:48c89dde2b477f90bd282940e0bd45c1ae0613e6cb97ba9142a514bd0b902b914b85dbefb6be6056e61cc4973e2a470112a157fa4cd028e82e0180cad05883d3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208486/cdc_208486_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 214.45 KB ]