Comparison of aggregated exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from diet and personal care products with concentrations in blood using a PBPK model - Results from the Norwegian biomonitoring study in EuroMix

T Husøy; I H Caspersen; E Thépaut; H Knutsen; L S Haug; M Andreassen; A Gkrillas; B Lindeman; C Thomsen; D Herzke; H Dirven; M W Wojewodzic

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.117341

Comparison of aggregated exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from diet and personal care products with concentrations in blood using a PBPK model - Results from the Norwegian biomonitoring study in EuroMix

Environ Res. 2023 Dec 15;239(Pt 2):117341. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117341. Epub 2023 Oct 14.

Authors

T Husøy¹, I H Caspersen², E Thépaut³, H Knutsen⁴, L S Haug⁴, M Andreassen³, A Gkrillas³, B Lindeman⁴, C Thomsen⁴, D Herzke³, H Dirven³, M W Wojewodzic⁵

Affiliations

¹ The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Oslo, Norway; The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: trine.husoy@fhi.no.
² Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
³ The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Oslo, Norway; The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Oslo, Norway; The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Centre for Sustainable Diets, Oslo, Norway; Cancer Registry of Norway, Section for Molecular Epidemiology and Infections, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 37839534
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117341

Abstract

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a large group of compounds that are water, stain, and oil repellent. Numerous sources contribute to the blood levels of PFAS in the European population. The main contributor for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is food, house dust, consumer products and personal care products (PCPs).

Objectives: The purpose of the present work is to calculate the dietary and dermal external exposure to PFOA, estimate the aggregated internal exposure from diet and PCPs using a PBPK model, and compare estimates with measured concentrations.

Methods: Detailed information on diet and PCP use from the EuroMix study is combined with concentration data of PFOA in food and PCPs in a probabilistic exposure assessment. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) was further refined by incorporating a dermal exposure pathway, and changes in the kidney and faecal excretion.

Results: The aggregated internal exposure using the PBPK model shows that the major contributor to the internal exposure is diet for both males and females. The estimated internal exposure of PFOA for the EuroMix population was in the same range but lower than the measured blood concentrations using the lower bound (LB) external exposure estimates, showing that the LB estimates are underestimations. For seven females the internal exposure of PFOA were higher from PCPs than from diet.

Conclusion: PCPs and diet contributed in the same range to the internal PFOA exposure for several women participating in EuroMix. This calls for additional studies on exposure to PFOA and possibly other PFAS from PCPs, especially for women. Overall, PBPK modelling was shown as valuable tool in understanding the sources of PFOA exposure and in guiding risk assessments and regulatory decisions.

Keywords: Biomonitoring; Cosmetics; Diet; Exposure; PFOA; Personal care products; Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling.

MeSH terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids*
Biological Monitoring
Cosmetics*
Diet
Environmental Pollutants* / metabolism
Female
Fluorocarbons*
Humans
Male
Norway

Substances

perfluorooctanoic acid
Fluorocarbons
Cosmetics
Alkanesulfonic Acids
Environmental Pollutants