| Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are new emerging organic pollutants that can repel both water (hydrophobic) and oils (oleophobic), and very stable and difficult to be degraded in environment conditions. As the special physical and chemical properties of these substances, since the 1950s, PFCs have been applied extensively in various industrial and commercial products, and they were widely found in various environmental matrix and organisms including humans. Current studies relating to the exposure and body load of PFCs usually use body fluids PFCs concentration as a biomarker of exposure. In the present study, PFCs concentrations in fingernail as biopsy materials were suggested as more attractive biomarkers in assessing PFCs environmental exposure. The study established an analysis method for PFCs in human fingernails. And the present study dealt with quantitative determination of PFCs in fingernails of children (N=237) aged the years of 6-12 in three different areas (Shenyang, a densely populated urban area in China, Gongchangling, a town in Liaoning Province, Lizhiyuan, a village in Liaoning Province) using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Factors that suspected to influence the levels of PFCs in children were obtained through a questionnaire.Results indicated that for the spring data, the highest median concentration of PFHxS and PFTA was obtained from Shenyang (median:65 and 17ng/g) followed by Gongchangling (median:14 and 5.8ng/g) and Lizhiyuan (median:8.6 and 4.9ng/g), and the highest median concentration of PFOS was obtained from Shenyang (median:351ng/g) followed by Lizhiyuan (median:22ng/g) and Gongchangling (median:0.9ng/g), with significant difference(p=0.000). But the highest median concentration of PFOA was detected in samples collected from Liziyuan. As for the autumn data, the highest median concentration of PFOS, PFHxS and PFTA was detected in the samples collected from Gongchangling followed by Liziyuan and Shenyang. As for the spring data, PFHxS in female fingernail samples and PFTA in male fingernail samples in Shenyang and PFHxS in both sexes fingernail samples and PFOS, PFDoA and PFTA in male fingernail samples in Liziyuan were found with higher levels in＜9 years people than in≥9 years people, but PFHxS and PFTA in female fingernail samples and PFDA in male fingernail samples in Gongchangling were found with higher levels in≥9 years people than in＜9 years people. For the autumn data, PFTA in male fingernail samples in Liziyuan were found with higher level in≥9 years people than in＜9 years people. In addition, females in Shenyang were higher burdened with PFOA, PFNA, PFDA and PFTA than males. PFCs concentrations in paired fingernail samples collected in two different seasons were different, with higher levels found in samples collected in spring than those collected in autumn. Significant correlation was found between PFCs in human fingernails and pesticide usage, drinking water types, canned food, beef and egg consumption and family average per person month income.Results of the study suggested that levels of PFOS, PFHxS and PFTA differed significantly between the samples collected from Shenyang, Gongchangling and Liziyuan, with higher concentrations determined in participants from the urban area than those from the rural area. Higher PFCs levels were found in fingernail samples in children aged＜9 years than in children aged≥9 years. In addition, females had higher PFOA, PFNA, PFDA and PFTA burdens than males in urban area. Higher PFCs levels were found in fingernail samples collected in spring than those collected in autumn. Factors that found to have significant influence on the levels of PFCs in children were environmental risk exposures, dietary habits and socio-economic background. Results of this study indicated for using fingernails as a biomonitoring of PFCs environmental exposure after further elucidating the correlation of PFCs levels of fingernails with other samples, for example, human serum.
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