Exposure pathways and mental health impact of PFAS-contaminated biosolids

项目摘要 全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是持久性的“永久化学品”， 产品耐污，但也污染水和食物，几乎每个人都可以检测到， 美方一个未充分研究的暴露源是美国农村的农田， 生物固体被用作肥料。关于非水接触途径的信息不完整， 社区，其中许多人依赖当地农业和游戏的工作和食物，不确定如何 尽量减少暴露。PFAS污染的生物固体威胁着这些农民的生计和食物来源， 社区，因为植物和野生动物暴露于生物固体中的PFAS使得销售和消费当地 农产品、动物产品或野生鱼类和野味不再安全。缅因州拥有独特的调查能力 这些问题是因为2021年的州立法要求在陆地上进行PFAS测试， 生物固体的应用。一个哨点，费尔菲尔德镇，被发现有PFAS高达1000的 土壤中的汞含量为100毫克/千克，私人水井中的饮用水中的汞含量为30，000纳克/升，远远高于当地和国家的健康水平 全氟辛酸（EPA的饮用水建议值为0.004纳克/升）。到目前为止，有足够的影响， 缅因州中部的个人[319口威尔斯，PFAS高于缅因州健康咨询（6个遗留PFAS的总和 ≥ 20 ng/L）]建立一个队列，以指导美国各地受生物固体影响的其他社区。在本研究中， 我们的目标是招募300名有暴露于生物固体中PFAS风险的成年人，以（1）量化PFAS 血清中的浓度，（2）评价水和非水暴露途径，以及（3）表征 PFAS与焦虑以及对健康风险和耻辱的看法的关联。对时间敏感的R21 机制将使我们能够立即评估血清PFAS水平，这是至关重要的，因为 一些受影响的人在两年前就知道了污染，并安装了滤水器。PFAS 具有长半衰期（3-8年，取决于化合物），血清测量长达2年后清洁 水将与其他社区污染队列保持一致。为了尽量减少回忆偏差， 在更多时间评估饮水量、其他潜在暴露途径和焦虑之前， 以及在知道污染之前和之后对健康风险/污名化的看法。我们 跨学科团队具有环境流行病学、PFAS患者临床护理 暴露和社会心理学。我们将通过社区咨询委员会与社区合作， 提供内容丰富的单个结果报告，并在市政厅展示汇总的研究结果 会议.据我们所知，我们将首先建立一个生物固体PFAS暴露队列， 我们的研究结果将有助于产生暴露缓解建议和干预措施，以建立 生活在受PFAS污染的生物固体影响的社区的个人。

PROJECT ABSTRACT Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent “forever chemicals” that make paper and other products stain resistant, but also contaminate water and food and are detectable in almost every individual in the US. An understudied exposure source is farmland throughout the rural US where PFAS-contaminated biosolids are applied as fertilizer. Incomplete information about non-water exposure pathways leaves affected communities, many of whom are dependent on local agriculture and game for work and food, uncertain how to minimize exposure. PFAS-contaminated biosolids threaten the livelihoods and food sources of these agrarian communities, as plant and wildlife exposure to PFAS from biosolids makes selling and consuming local produce, animal products, or wild fish and game no longer safe. Maine has the unique capability to investigate these issues because of 2021 state legislation that mandated PFAS testing on land with prior or ongoing application of biosolids. One sentinel site, the town of Fairfield, was found to have PFAS up to the 1000’s mg/kg in soil and 30,000’s ng/L in drinking water from private wells—far above local and national health advisories (EPA’s drinking water advisory is 0.004 ng/L for PFOA). As of now, there are enough impacted individuals across central Maine [319 wells with PFAS above the Maine health advisory (sum of 6 legacy PFAS ≥ 20 ng/L)] to establish a cohort to guide other communities affected by biosolids across the US. In this study, our objective is to recruit 300 adults at risk of exposure to PFAS from biosolids to (1) quantify PFAS concentrations in serum, (2) evaluate water and non-water exposure pathways, and (3) characterize associations of PFAS with anxiety and perceptions of health risk and stigmatization. The time-sensitive R21 mechanism will allow us to obtain an immediate assessment of serum PFAS levels, which is critical because some affected individuals learned of the contamination and had a water filter installed up to 2 years ago. PFAS have long half-lives (3-8 years depending on the compound), and serum measures up to 2 years post-clean water will be consistent with other community contamination cohorts. To minimize recall bias, it is also imperative before more time elapses to assess water intake, other potential exposure pathways, and anxiety and perceptions of health risk/stigmatization before and after knowledge of the contamination. Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in environmental epidemiology, clinical care of patients with PFAS exposure, and social psychology. We will partner with the community through a community advisory board, context-rich report back of individual results, and presentation of aggregated study results at town hall meetings. We will be the first to our knowledge to establish a cohort with PFAS exposure from biosolids, and our results will help to generate exposure mitigation advice and interventions to build resilience among individuals living in communities impacted by PFAS-contaminated biosolids.