Prepandemic personal concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other pollutants: Specific and combined effects on the incidence of COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection

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  • dc.contributor.author Pumarega Rodríguez, José Antonio
  • dc.contributor.author Gasull Panadès, Magda
  • dc.contributor.author Koponen, Jani
  • dc.contributor.author Campi, Laura
  • dc.contributor.author Rantakokko, Panu
  • dc.contributor.author Henríquez Hernández, Luis Alberto
  • dc.contributor.author Aguilar, Ruth
  • dc.contributor.author Donat-Vargas, Carolina
  • dc.contributor.author Zumbado, Manuel
  • dc.contributor.author Villar García, Judit
  • dc.contributor.author Rius, Cristina
  • dc.contributor.author Santiago-Díaz, Pablo
  • dc.contributor.author Vidal, Marta
  • dc.contributor.author Jiménez Morera, Alfons
  • dc.contributor.author Iglesias Coma, Mar
  • dc.contributor.author Dobaño, Carlota
  • dc.contributor.author Moncunill, Gemma
  • dc.contributor.author Porta Serra, Miquel
  • dc.date.accessioned 2024-05-15T06:20:11Z
  • dc.date.embargoEnd info:eu-repo/date/embargoEnd/2025-08-29
  • dc.date.issued 2023
  • dc.description.abstract Objective: To investigate the specific and combined effects of personal concentrations of some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and chemical elements -measured in individuals' blood several years before the pandemic- on the development of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease in the general population. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in 240 individuals from the general population of Barcelona. PFAS, other POPs, and chemical elements were measured in plasma, serum, and whole blood samples, respectively, collected in 2016-2017. PFAS were analyzed by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs and/or antibody serology in blood samples collected in 2020-2021. Results: No individual PFAS nor their mixtures were significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity or COVID-19 disease. Previously identified mixtures of POPs and elements (Porta et al., 2023) remained significantly associated with seropositivity and COVID-19 when adjusted for PFAS (all OR > 4 or p < 0.05). Nine chemicals comprised mixtures associated with COVID-19: thallium, ruthenium, lead, benzo[b]fluoranthene, DDD, other DDT-related compounds, manganese, tantalum, and aluminium. And nine chemicals comprised the mixtures more consistently associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity: thallium, ruthenium, lead, benzo[b]fluoranthene, DDD, gold, and (protectively) selenium, indium, and iron. Conclusions: The PFAS studied were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity or COVID-19. The results confirm the associations between personal blood concentrations of some POPs and chemical elements and the risk of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 infection in what remains the only prospective and population-based cohort study on the topic. Mixtures of POPs and chemical elements may contribute to explain the heterogeneity in the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in the general population.
  • dc.description.sponsorship The work was supported in part by research grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Government of Spain, co-funded by FEDER (FIS PI17/00088, FIS PI21/00052, and CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública - CIBERESP); CRUE-Santander Fondo Supera Covid-19 (15072020); the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona; and the Government of Catalonia (2017 SGR 439; 2021 SGR 43). GM is supported by RYC2020-029886-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, co-funded by European Social Fund (ESF). Development of SARS-CoV-2 reagents was partially supported by the NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) contract HHSN272201400008C. ISGlobal acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and State Research Agency through the ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019–2023’ Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
  • dc.embargo.liftdate 2025-08-29
  • dc.format.mimetype application/pdf
  • dc.identifier.citation Pumarega J, Gasull M, Koponen J, Campi L, Rantakokko P, Henríquez-Hernández LA, et al. Prepandemic personal concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other pollutants: Specific and combined effects on the incidence of COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Environ Res. 2023 Nov 15;237(Pt 2):116965. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116965
  • dc.identifier.doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116965
  • dc.identifier.issn 0013-9351
  • dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60150
  • dc.language.iso eng
  • dc.publisher Elsevier
  • dc.relation.ispartof Environ Res. 2023 Nov 15;237(Pt 2):116965
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/2PE/CEX2018-000806-S
  • dc.rights © Elsevier http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116965
  • dc.rights.accessRights info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
  • dc.subject.keyword COVID-19
  • dc.subject.keyword Immunotoxicity
  • dc.subject.keyword Mixtures
  • dc.subject.keyword Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
  • dc.subject.keyword SARS-CoV-2
  • dc.title Prepandemic personal concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other pollutants: Specific and combined effects on the incidence of COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection
  • dc.type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
  • dc.type.version info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

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Articles (Hospital del Mar Research Institute)
Articles (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) – Campus Mar)