Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as persistent pollutants with metabolic and endocrine-disrupting impacts

Lucas Gaillard; Robert Barouki; Etienne Blanc; Xavier Coumoul; Karine Andréau

doi:10.1016/j.tem.2024.07.021

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as persistent pollutants with metabolic and endocrine-disrupting impacts

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Aug 23:S1043-2760(24)00202-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.07.021. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Lucas Gaillard¹, Robert Barouki¹, Etienne Blanc¹, Xavier Coumoul², Karine Andréau¹

Affiliations

¹ Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France.
² Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France. Electronic address: xavier.coumoul@u-paris.fr.

PMID: 39181731
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.07.021

Abstract

The widespread use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and their resistance to degradation, renders human exposure to them inevitable. PFAS exposure disturbs endocrine function, potentially affecting cognitive development in newborns through thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy. Recent studies reveal varying male and female reproductive toxicity across PFAS classes, with alternative analogs affecting sperm parameters and legacy PFASs correlating with conditions like endometriosis. Metabolically, PFASs exposure is linked to metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, and liver toxicity, particularly in early childhood. This review focuses on the endocrine-disrupting impact of PFASs, particularly on fertility, thyroid, and metabolic functions. We highlight the complexity of the PFAS issue, given the large number of molecules and their extremely diverse mixed effects.

Keywords: PFAS; endocrine disruption; human health; metabolism impairment; toxicity.

Publication types

Review