U.S. News & World Report: PFAS chemicals tied to later puberty in girls
UC research shows puberty is delayed on average by five to six months
Research out of the University of Cincinnati shows that exposure to PFAs chemicals delays the onset of puberty in girls by an average of five to six months. The research was published in the journal PLOS One. U.S. News & World Report published a story on the study, featuring comments from lead researcher Susan Pinney, MD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the UC College of Medicine.
Pinney said the study is the first to consider the role hormones play in the delay, which can lead to negative long-term health outcomes for girls, such as a higher incidence of breast cancer, kidney disease and thyroid disease.
Susan Pinney, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the UC College of Medicine/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand
“Puberty is a window of susceptibility,” Pinney said. “Environmental exposures during puberty, not just to PFAS, but anything, have more of a potential for a long-term health effect. What these have done is extended the window of susceptibility, and it makes them more vulnerable for a longer period of time.”
Researchers examined data from more than 800 girls from the Greater Cincinnati and San Francisco Bay areas who were six to eight years old when they joined the study.
The girls were examined every six to 12 months to see when they experienced the first signs of breast development and pubic hair.
About 85% of the girls in the two geographic groups had measurable levels of PFAS.
Researchers also discovered evidence of decreased hormones that were consistent with findings of the delayed onset of puberty.
“The study found that in girls with PFAS exposure, puberty is delayed five or six months, on average, but there will be some girls where it’s delayed a lot more and others that it wasn’t delayed at all,” Pinney said. “We are especially concerned about the girls at the top end of the spectrum, where it’s delayed more.”
More than 99% of girls in the two groups had measurable levels of PFOA, one of the most important of the PFAS chemicals.
Pinney was also interviewed about PFAS and this study by WVXU. Listen to that program here.
Read more about the study here.
Lead image/SCS Engineers
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
U.S. News & World Report: Metformin may help young patients with bipolar disorder avoid weight gain
October 31, 2023
U.S. News & World Report highlighted recent research led by the University of Cincinnati and Northwell Health that found the drug metformin can help prevent or reduce weight gain in youth taking medication to treat bipolar disorder.
U.S. News & World Report: PFAS chemicals tied to later puberty in girls
October 3, 2023
Research out of the University of Cincinnati shows that exposure to PFAs chemicals delays the onset of puberty in girls by an average of five to six months. The research was published in the journal PLOS One. U.S. News & World Report published a story on the study, featuring comments from lead researcher Susan Pinney, MD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences.
MSN: Mother's stress levels during pregnancy could increase risk of illness in children
January 13, 2021
A University of Cincinnati researcher says there is a connection between trauma and lifetime stress in an expectant mother and DNA mutation in her newborn child. It could lead to a host of diseases that begin in childhood including obesity, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism.
Business Courier: UC part of nearly $2M CDC grant to develop next generation of health care PPE
November 10, 2021
UC researchers are taking part in a new nearly $2 million, multiyear study that will help develop a new generation of PPE, or personal protective equipment, for health care workers. UC researchers will work with teams from Iowa State University and the University of California-Davis to improve the design, function and safety of PPE, or personal protective equipment, the university said in a release this week. The study is part of a multi-institutional, four-year grant worth $1.8 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Cincinnati Business Courier published a story on the research.
PBS NewsHour: Why tracking these pollution indicators is key after the East Palestine train derailment
April 19, 2023
Two months after the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals, state and federal agencies are monitoring air, water and soil samples in and around East Palestine, Ohio, for signs of pollution. So how long will those steps be necessary to ensure the safety of the community? Glenn Talaska, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the UC College of Medicine was one of the experts interviewed for a story produced by PBS News Hour.
Dayton 24/7 Now: Environmental concerns after lithium-ion battery burns in Piqua, why the company was allowed to police itself
November 15, 2023
People in the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Piqua are expressing concerns about the city burning lithium-ion batteries at a training facility near the Great Miami River. The program had been going on for five years, since 2018, but the environmental impact of these lithium-ion battery burns is still unknown. Dayton 24/7 Now produced a story on the issue, interviewing Jun Wang, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the UC College of Medicine.
AP: Communities await first US limits on ‘forever chemicals’
March 2, 2023
The Associated Press interviewed Susan Pinney, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati Department of Environmental Health and Public Sciences about the expectation that the EPA to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable.
Cincinnati.com: Forever chemicals in Ohio's drinking water: Why Cincinnati is better off than Indian Hill
November 22, 2023
New data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that industrial pollutants, known as forever chemicals, which are linked to cancer and other serious ailments, are rarely detected in samples of drinking water from Cincinnati and most nearby communities. Cincinnati.com posted a story on PFAS, and one of the experts cited was Susan Pinney, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the UC College of Medicine.
New York Times: What to know about lead exposure in children
February 27, 2024
A recent outbreak of lead poisoning from cinnamon in applesauce has drawn attention to the toxic effect the heavy metal can have on children. The cinnamon in the applesauce was believed to have been intentionally contaminated, possibly to add to its value as a commodity sold by weight. The New York Times published an article on the outbreak, quoting Kim Dietrich, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the UC College of Medicine.
WSJ: They got cancer, and then their drugs were rationed
June 30, 2023
A monthslong shortage of chemotherapies forces some patients to receive less treatment. University of Cincinnati Cancer Center's Davendra Sohal told the Wall Street Journal his patients were also impacted.