IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i9p5375-d804668.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Influence of Perfluoroalkyl Substances on Occurrence of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Author

Listed:
  • Zygmunt F. Dembek

    (Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA)

  • Robert A. Lordo

    (Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA)

Abstract

Epidemiologic evidence indicates exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) influences immunosuppression, with diminished vaccination response. The relationship between PFAS blood levels and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurrence by age warrants further examination. This assessment identified blood PFAS exposure levels in discrete populations. Recent PFAS population studies summarizing age and gender results were identified and included. Geographically corresponding COVID-19 incidence data were determined for selected counties in North Carolina (NC) and Ohio (OH), and the state of New Jersey (NJ). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 databases were accessed for national incidence data by age groupings. We assessed associations between blood PFAS concentrations, COVID-19 incidence rates, and key demographic characteristics, within subpopulations. COVID-19 incidence counts and blood PFAS concentration were obtained for each age group, along with estimated U.S. Census total population. A general trend observed is higher PFAS levels in older age groups. Younger age groups contained fewer COVID-19 cases. Global COVID-19 mortality is highest in elderly populations with hospitalization and death greatly increasing from age 50. PFAS exposures occurring early in life may cause deleterious health effects later in life, including decreased antibody response and reduced disease resistance. Highest levels of both PFAS exposure and COVID-19 were found in the oldest populations. While this does not determine causality, such associations should help promote further study.

Suggested Citation

  • Zygmunt F. Dembek & Robert A. Lordo, 2022. "Influence of Perfluoroalkyl Substances on Occurrence of Coronavirus Disease 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:5375-:d:804668
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5375/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5375/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Waterfield, Gina & Rogers, Martha & Grandjean, Philippe & Auffhammer, Maximilian & Sunding, David, 2020. "Reducing exposure to high levels of perfluorinated compounds in drinking water improves reproductive outcomes: evidence from an intervention in Minnesota," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt67t8w4q5, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    2. Stephanie M. Eick & Elizabeth A. Enright & Sarah D. Geiger & Kelsey L. C. Dzwilewski & Erin DeMicco & Sabrina Smith & June-Soo Park & Andrea Aguiar & Tracey J. Woodruff & Rachel Morello-Frosch & Susan, 2021. "Associations of Maternal Stress, Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), and Demographic Risk Factors with Birth Outcomes and Offspring Neurodevelopment: An Overview of the EC," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Dolores Catelan & Annibale Biggeri & Francesca Russo & Dario Gregori & Gisella Pitter & Filippo Da Re & Tony Fletcher & Cristina Canova, 2021. "Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Mortality for COVID-19: A Spatial Ecological Analysis in the Veneto Region (Italy)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-11, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christel Nielsen & Anna Jöud, 2021. "Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-8, October.
    2. Francesco Jacopo Pintus, 2023. "Valuing drinking water quality after a PFAS contamination event: results from a meta-analysis benefit transfer," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0308, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    3. Marcus, Michelle & Mueller, Rosie, 2024. "Unregulated contaminants in drinking water: Evidence from PFAS and housing prices," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Marialuisa Menegatto & Adriano Zamperini, 2024. "Contamination of Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Environmental Fight for Safe and Health: The MammeNoPfas Movement as Epistemic Community," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-25, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:5375-:d:804668. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.