Scientists have published an epidemiological study of exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) among the general population in South Korea, which links the chemical perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) to changes in thyroid hormone levels.

The researchers, from the Korea Environment Institute and Seoul National University, measured levels of 13 major PFCs in the blood of 633 subjects, and compared this to blood measurements of thyroid hormone levels and information collected via a questionnaire on dietary habits.

The results showed that perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were the chemicals detected in greatest concentrations in blood, and that males tended to have greater concentrations than females for most chemicals.

The concentration of PFTrDA was shown to affect the levels of two thyroid hormones, with higher concentration associated with decreased levels of total thyroxine (T4) and increased levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The consumption of certain foods including fish and popcorn were also identified to be significantly related with concentrations of PFCs.

The authors state the result of their study will provide information useful for developing public health and safety management measures for these chemicals. The findings are published in Environment International.

Abstract: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201200058X