Key points:
- Exposure to PFAS may delay the onset of puberty in girls—5 to 6 months on average.
- 85% of girls in the study had measurable levels of PFAS, which was associated with decreased hormones.
- Research efforts to inform the public and health care community are important as regulatory guidelines to clean up PFAS lag behind scientific knowledge.
New research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, finds that exposure to PFAS may delay the onset of puberty in girls.
The delay of puberty in girls can lead to negative long-term health consequences including a higher incidence of breast cancer, renal disease, and thyroid disease.
“Environmental exposures during puberty have more of a potential for a long-term health effect,” said study author Susan Pinney of University of Cincinnati. “What these have done is extended the window of susceptibility, and it makes them more vulnerable for a longer period of time.”
The longitudinal study, which followed 823 girls who were 6 to 8 years old at its start, included 379 girls from the Greater Cincinnati area and 444 from the San Francisco Bay Area. All girls started the study before they began breast development and had exams every 6 to 12 months to track when they experienced the first signs of breast development and pubic hair.
In both cohorts, 85% of the girls showed PFAS exposure, which was associated with decreased hormones and delayed puberty onset. On average, girls with PFAS exposure experienced a five to six month delay in puberty onset. Over 99% of girls in the cohorts had measurable PFOA levels, which is an important PFA.
Researchers associated PFAS exposure in the Greater Cincinnati cohort with drinking water from the Ohio River. For decades, a DuPont plant released PFAS into the river that flows downstream to major water intakes. Additionally, PFAS are present in firefighting foam and a firefighting training ground was located near the same water intakes.
Future studies are exploring methods to break down PFAS chemicals in the environment as these toxins do not degrade. Faced with the prevalence of long-lasting PFAS, researchers hope their findings about delayed puberty and potentially dangerous health effects can help change regulatory guidelines.
“Scientists are frustrated with the slowness of movement to change regulatory guidelines,” said Pinney. “Not only do we need to publish our research findings, but also do our best to inform the general population and the health care community.”