How Long Do Certain Chemicals Stay in Our Blood?
Author Information
Author(s): Olsen Geary W., Burris Jean M., Ehresman David J., Froehlich John W., Seacat Andrew M., Butenhoff John L., Zobel Larry R.
Primary Institution: 3M Company
Hypothesis
What is the elimination half-life of PFOS, PFHS, and PFOA from human serum?
Conclusion
Humans have a long half-life of serum elimination for PFOS, PFHS, and PFOA.
Supporting Evidence
- The arithmetic mean half-lives of serum elimination were 5.4 years for PFOS, 8.5 years for PFHS, and 3.8 years for PFOA.
- Participants had a mean follow-up of 5.0 years.
- Serum concentrations of PFOS, PFHS, and PFOA were significantly higher than those reported in the general population.
Takeaway
This study looked at how long certain chemicals stay in the blood of retired workers, and found they stay for a long time.
Methodology
The study involved periodic blood sample collection over 5 years from retired fluorochemical production workers, followed by analysis using HPLC-mass spectrometry.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the participants being retired workers from a specific company.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small sample size of retired workers and may not represent the general population.
Participant Demographics
24 males and 2 females, retired fluorochemical production workers, mean age 61 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI for PFOS: 3.9–6.9 years; PFHS: 6.4–10.6 years; PFOA: 3.1–4.4 years.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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