Detection of the PFAS ADV in a non-occupationally exposed population living in Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND

ADVs are substances derived from polymerized perfluoropolyether carboxylic acids (Cl-PFPECAs), produced exclusively at a fluoropolymer plant in Northern Italy. Available evidence on human exposure to ADV is limited, particularly in populations without occupational exposure and living outside the immediate vicinity of the manufacturing source. This study aimed to characterize serum ADV concentrations in a non-occupationally exposed population living in Northern Italy.

METHODS

A total of 150 non-occupationally exposed individuals residing and/or working in Pavia, Northern Italy, were enrolled from the IDEA study (2024-2026). Participants underwent clinical evaluation and blood sampling, and serum concentrations of six ADV isomers were measured using a validated UHPLC-MS/MS method. Associations of ADV-N2 concentrations with demographic, biochemical, and hematological parameters were investigated using multivariable regression models.

RESULTS

ADV-N2 showed the highest detection frequency (98.0% of samples above the LOD), followed by ADV-N3 and ADV-M3, whereas the other isomers were detected rarely or not detected. ADV-N2 concentrations were higher in men than in women. An age × sex interaction analysis indicated different age-related patterns of ADV-N2 concentrations in women and men, with a stronger positive age-related estimate among women. Exploratory analyses of biochemical and hematological parameters showed positive association estimates for some hepatic and lipid parameters, although estimates were attenuated after multivariable adjustment and were characterized by considerable uncertainty.

CONCLUSIONS

ADV was detected in serum from individuals without occupational exposure living outside the immediate vicinity of the manufacturing source. ADV-N2 was the most frequently detected isomer and showed sex-related differences and different age-related patterns in women and men. These findings expand the available evidence on human exposure to ADV beyond occupational settings and support further investigation of its environmental distribution, exposure determinants, and potential health effects.