Species-specific concentrations of perfluoroalkyl contaminants in farm and pet animals in Japan
Introduction
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which have a wide range of industrial and consumer applications, have been used for over 50 years. The strong carbon–fluorine (C–F) covalent bonds present in PFCs account for the thermal and chemical stability of these compounds, which thus resist hydrolysis, photolysis, biodegradation and metabolism (Kissa, 2001). It has been reported that PFCs are found in several species of wildlife and fish from various locations, including remote areas (Kannan et al., 2001a, Kannan et al., 2001b, Kannan et al., 2002). These compounds bind to serum albumin and are found in the protein fraction of blood (Han et al., 2003). Some studies have reported the occurrence of PFCs in the body fluids of non-occupationally exposed humans in various geographical locations (Olsen et al., 2003a, Olsen et al., 2003b, Kannan et al., 2004, Guruge et al., 2005a). Potentially serious health effects of certain PFCs have been reported, including liver damage and detrimental effects on development, thyroid and pancreatic functions and reproduction and even mortality in animals (Seacat et al., 2002, Thibodeaux et al., 2003, Kennedy et al., 2004, Lau et al., 2004). Therefore, the occurrence of these chemicals in the human body has raised considerable public health concerns about the effects of these chemicals. Since these compounds are found in various concentrations in humans, it is important to focus on pathways of exposure. Human exposure to organochlorine pollutants through foodstuffs originating from animals, for example, is considered to be greater than exposure through other pathways. Therefore, monitoring PFCs in domestic animals will provide insight not only into animal contamination, but also into potential human exposure through ingestion of animal products. PFC contamination in edible fish, wild animals and drinking water has been reported worldwide, however, data are scarce for farm animals. In the present study, the concentrations of several PFCs in the sera, plasma and livers of six species of farm and pet animals were measured to determine current contamination levels in animals from several locations in Japan.
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Samples
The blood and liver samples used in the present study were collected from farm animals in 2003 and 2004. Alphabetical codes were used to identify sample locations in order to avoid any conflict of interest. Animal samples of six species (cattle, pigs, chickens, goats, horses and dogs) were categorized into five prefectures according to sample locations (Table 1). A small number of samples were also collected from animals employed for various research programs at two national institutes in
Concentrations of PFCs in animals
The mean and range concentrations of selective PFCs in serum, plasma and liver samples from various animal species are shown in Table 1. PFOSA was not detected, and PFHpA and PFHxA were rarely found in farm animals. PFOSA was detected in only a few dog serum samples (<0.01–0.06 ng/ml), hence, these data were not included in Table 1. The detection frequencies of PFHpA and PFHxA were 100% in dog sera and the mean concentrations were 0.32 (0.18–0.71 ng/ml) and 0.73 ng/ml (0.46–1.6 ng/ml),
Acknowledgments
This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid under the Global Environment Conservation Research Fund to Dr. K.S.G. (NIAH) and Dr. N.Y. (AIST) by the Environmental Ministry of Japan (Year 2004–2008). The authors thank to regional veterinary officers in Japan for their invaluable assistance during sampling.
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