Maternal and fetal exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals during gestation

Background. Polyfluoroalkyl chemical (PFC) surfactants can cross the placenta. However, data on the maternal PFCs concentrations during gestation and transfer of PFCs to the fetus are limited. Aims. To correlate PFCs concentrations in paired maternal–cord sera and determine potential changes in PFCs concentrations during gestation. Methods. In a multiethnic cohort of pregnant women recruited in 2003-2006 from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, we measured four PFCs in maternal serum at approximately 16 weeks of gestation, in umbilical cord serum, and in paired maternal and cord sera collected at delivery by on-line solid phase extraction–high performance liquid chromatography–isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results. We detected perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) in >90% of the samples analyzed. PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA and PFNA concentrations in mothers’ sera at 16 weeks of gestation and in their infants at delivery were hig...