The associations between serum perfluorinated chemicals and thyroid function in adolescents and young adults

► We determine the association between PFCs and thyroid function in a cohort. ► The concentrations of PFNA associated with free T4 significantly. ► The association was greater in male aged 20–30, active smokers and higher BMI. Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been widely used in a variety of products worldwide for years. However, the effect of PFCs on thyroid function has not yet been clearly defined. We recruited 567 subjects (aged 12–30 years) in a population-based cohort of adolescents and young adults with abnormal urinalysis in the childhood to determine the relationship between serum level of PFCs and the levels of serum free thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The geometric means and geometric standard deviation concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) were 2.67 (2.96)ng/ml, 7.78 (2.42)ng/ml, 1.01 (3.48)ng/ml and 5.81 (2.92)ng/ml, respectively. Differences in the levels of free T4 and TSH across different categories of PFOA, PFOS and PFUA were insignificant. After controlling for confounding factors, multiple linear regression analyses revealed mean serum level of free T4 increased significantly across categories (90th percentiles) of PFNA (P for trend =0.012 in the full model). The association between PFNA and free T4 was more significant in male subjects in age group 20–30, active smokers and in those with higher body mass index in stratified analysis. Serum concentrations of PFNA were associated with serum free T4 levels in adolescents and young adults.