Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Reveals Occupational Exposure to Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Relates to Oxidative Stress, Fatty Acid β-Oxidation Disorder, and Kidney Injury in a Manufactory in China

Yao Lu, Ke Gao, Xiaona Li, Zhi Tang, Li Xiang, Hongzhi Zhao, Jianjie Fu, Ling Wang, Nali Zhu, Zongwei Cai*, Yong Liang*, Yawei Wang*, Guibin Jiang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

81 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Occupational workers are usually exposed to high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), placing them under greater health risks compared to the general population. Herein, 40 occupational workers from a factory in China and 52 control subjects from the general population were involved in an investigation on the potential health concerns of occupational exposure to PFASs by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics analysis. The PFAS levels in plasma from both groups were analyzed. Six PFAS congeners (ς6PFASs) were found to be the main components of the 13 detected PFASs, with a geometric mean of 1770 and 22.2 ng mL-1 in occupational workers and the general population, respectively. Metabolic profiles of the plasma samples were acquired using liquid chromatography coupled with orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The partial least-squares-discriminant analysis model indicated that the plasma metabolic profiles of the two groups could be clearly separated. Differential and correlation analyses were applied to discover potential biomarkers. A total of 14 potential biomarkers were identified, and they were found to be associated with oxidative stress, fatty acid β-oxidation disorder, and kidney injury. The obtained results indicated that the health effects of occupational exposure to PFASs on workers should not be ignored.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9800-9809
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume53
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Aug 2019

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Environmental Chemistry

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