PFAS Linked to Poor Bone Health in Adolescents

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals found extensively in food packaging and cosmetics; and previous research has shown they can cause reproductive problems, increased cancer risk and other health issues. Scientists from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California have now found PFAS exposure in developing bodies is linked to lower bone mineral density which can lead to osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

This study specifically looked at the impact on young Hispanic participants and the findings were published in the journal Environmental Research.

"This is a population completely understudied in this area of research, despite having an increased risk for bone disease and osteoporosis," said Vaia Lida Chatzi, MD, Ph.D., a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine and the study's senior author.

A group of 304 adolescents was studied and it was discovered that exposure to PFAS was linked to a decrease in bone mineral density over a period of time. Another set of young adults (137)

showed lower than expected bone density but there were no differences observed over time.

"Many existing studies haven't included participants this young, but we're now able to see that this association is already happening at a time when bones are supposed to be developing," said Emily Beglarian, MPH, a doctoral student in the Keck School of Medicine's Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

Researchers say the study results show a need for tighter regulations on these chemicals which have been found in drinking water, food sources and the soil across America.

"PFAS are ubiquitous—we are all exposed to them," Chatzi said. "We need to eliminate that exposure to allow our youth to reach their full potential in terms of bone development to help them avoid osteoporosis later in life."

Research shows bone mineral density increases during the formative years and peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. It then slowly decreases throughout adulthood. Peak bone mineral density is thought to be a good indicator of whether someone will be impacted by osteoporosis later in life. That’s what prompted the desire to investigate the affect of PFAS on young people.

"We want to make sure we're not exposing ourselves to things that harm our bone development, because it has implications over the rest of our lives," Beglarian said.

Researchers collected blood samples to measure levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), a type of PFAS. They then used a special kind of x-ray, dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), to measure bone density. In both groups the higher the PFOS number the lower the bone density.

"It's important to regulate PFAS as a class, because we are not just exposed to one chemical, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals," Chatzi said.

Click here to read more in the journal Environmental Research.