Personal care product use and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in pregnant and lactating people in the MIREC study.

Amber M Hall, Jillian Ashley-Martin, Chun Lei Liang, George D. Papandonatos, Tye E Arbuckle , Michael M Borghese, Jessie P. Buckley, Kim M Cecil, Aimin Chen, Linda Dodds, Mandy Fisher, Bruce P. Lanphear, Dorothea FK Rawn, Kimberly Yolton, Joseph M Braun. Environment International 2024 Oct 22;193:109094. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109094

Question: Is there an association between use of various personal care products and PFAS concentrations in prenatal blood and human milk?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of man-made chemicals that are used as lubricants and repellents (for dirt, water, and grease) in food packaging, cosmetics, textiles, non-stick cookware, electronics and other products.

What did the researchers do:
PFAS concentrations were measured in 1st trimester blood (n=1,940) and human milk (breastmilk) (n=664) samples from MIREC participants. In questionnaires, women reported their frequency of using various personal care products such as makeup, hair dyes, and shampoos, during the 1st and 3rd trimesters, 1 to 2 days after delivery, and 2 to 10 weeks’ postpartum. Researchers used statistical methods to examine whether the use of specific products was associated with PFAS concentrations in blood and human milk.

What did they find:
Higher use of nailcare products (≥once a week vs. never), fragrances (daily vs. never), makeup (daily vs. never), hair dyes (never vs. 1-2 times during pregnancy), and hair sprays or gels (daily vs. never) were associated with higher PFAS concentrations in maternal blood. Similar results were observed for 3rd trimester product use and 2 to 10 weeks’ postpartum human milk PFAS concentrations. In addition, researchers found that people using colored-permanent dye 1 to 2 days postpartum had higher human milk concentrations of certain PFAS.

What does this mean:
These results suggest that more frequent use of some personal care products can result in higher, although still low, concentrations of PFAS in blood and human milk. These results can help inform the regulation of PFAS by government agencies, as well as guide individuals on the choices they can make to reduce their PFAS exposure.

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