Low serum levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in children and adults from Afghanistan

Applications of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have led to a PFC exposure of the general population worldwide. Most PFC human biomonitoring data are available from developed countries. Here we report for the first time PFC levels in serum from children and adults living in the low developed country of Afghanistan. Among a health cooperation project we had the chance to collect blood samples from 12 children (age 2.5–9 years) and 43 adults (age 20–65 years). 25 participants were from Kabul and 30 lived in a rural area. Drinking water samples were collected from 10 tap water and 16 well water sources. PFC levels were determined by HPLC and MS/MS detection after offline protein precipitation with acetonitrile. PFOS could be quantified in all blood samples (limit of quantification, LOQ: 0.1 µg/l). Median (range) was 1.2 µg/l (0.21–11.8 µg/l). Most PFOA (n = 43) and PFHxS levels (n = 42) were below LOQ of 0.5 µg/l. Maximum levels were 1.5 (PFOA) and 3.0 µg/l (PFHxS). All PFOS and PFOA concentrations in drinking water were below LOQ (PFOA 0.03 µg/l and PFOS 0.015 µg/l). It is concluded that exposure to PFCs also occurs in Afghanistan but on a very low level.