Even though pefluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been an unfortunate part of our biological landscape as has its "blood relative" pefluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) -- both chemicals have been detected in small quantities in humans -- scientists are beginning to learn how harmful these man-made substances may be, specifically, for the health of children and teenagers, even for a relatively short amount of time.

Scientists discovered a link between elevated cholesterol levels and PFOA and PFOS in a health study of some 12,500 children (age 1-19) who had been exposed to contaminated drinking water from the mid-Ohio River Valley for at least a year.

Although PFOS concentrations were very similar among 12- to 19-year-old patients, PFOA levels in that group were more than seven times greater (29.3 nanograms per milliliter) than those calculated in a national survey (3.9).

After making adjustments for certain variables, researchers tied increases in total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels to children with elevated PFOA levels. And, PFOS was linked to those very same increases in total cholesterol, LDL and HDL (good) cholesterol.

For the moment, it's unknown whether PFOS and PFOA exposure will affect the long-term cardiovascular health of these children into adulthood or not. You can safely assume, however, exposure to these non-sticky chemicals does their growing bodies far more bad than good.

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 164, No. 9, September 2010

EurekAlert September 6, 2010

Yahoo News September 6, 2010