Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic compounds commonly used in industrial applications and have extreme persistence in the environment, the ability to bioaccumulate, toxicity potential, and adverse human health effects.
In a new study, Stephanie Campbell, MPH ’15, Masooma Raza of Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Anna Pollack, assistant professor of global and community health, explore if PFAS serve as endocrine disruptors and are associated with endometriosis. The study is published in Reproductive Toxicology.
The study used data from the 2003-2004 and the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The study sample included women between 20 and 50 years of age, who had self-reported doctor-diagnosed endometriosis and serum measurements of PFAS.
Data analysis demonstrated that certain PFAS were associated with endometriosis; however, the NHANES relies on self-reporting of the disease.
“There have not been many studies focused on the role PFAS play in women developing endometriosis,” Campbell said. “However, PFAS have been linked to various reproductive health issues, and further research is vital to determining the exact impact PFAS have on endometriosis development.”