# Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurrence and associations with dyslipidemia among community-based U.S. volunteer firefighters

> **NIH NIH F31** · RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $46,332

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are biologically and environmentally persistent anthropogenic
chemicals. Over 98% of the U.S. population has detectable levels of PFAS in their blood (serum). People may
be exposed to PFAS through contaminated drinking water and food, house dust, or consumer products. Some
populations may experience additional PFAS exposures from their jobs or hobbies. PFAS are of public health
concern because of their associations with numerous adverse health outcomes including dyslipidemia, an
imbalance of blood lipids such as high cholesterol. Dyslipidemia is a primary risk factor for ischemic heart disease
(IHD), the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the U.S. and globally.
 Volunteer firefighters are community members who fill a critical public safety function, particularly in suburban
and rural areas. Firefighters can be exposed to PFAS through combustion products, firefighting foams, and
firefighter protective clothing. The association between PFAS exposure and dyslipidemia is of major concern in
this population because cardiac events are the primary cause of line-of-duty deaths among all firefighters.
However, the extent and pathways of volunteer firefighters’ PFAS exposures, and the ways these exposures
may affect their blood lipid levels, are unknown. While 65% of the over 1 million U.S. firefighters are volunteers,
they are understudied, creating critical knowledge gaps in evidence-based efforts to protect and improve the
health of volunteer firefighters and the communities they serve.
 To address these gaps, we will leverage existing data from the Rutgers Firefighter Cancer Assessment and
Prevention Study (CAPS), a cohort of volunteer firefighters from 8 U.S. states. This F31 fellowship builds upon
the applicant’s preliminary work with CAPS data using pilot funding. Two specific aims will be used to achieve
the objectives of identifying (a) predictors of serum PFAS concentrations including sociodemographic,
firefighting, and occupational characteristics, and (b) associations between PFAS and lipid concentrations in
volunteer firefighters. Aim 1: Assess the seroprevalence, predictors, and possible exposure sources of
PFAS among U.S. volunteer firefighters. We hypothesize that heterogeneous distributions and concentrations
of serum PFAS will be associated primarily with community-related exposure sources. Aim 2: Examine
associations between serum PFAS and dyslipidemia among U.S. volunteer firefighters. We hypothesize
that serum PFOA and PFOS (the most frequently detected and studied PFAS) will be positively associated with
total cholesterol and LDL. We will also assess associations between less commonly studied PFAS and seven
lipid measures. We will use single-pollutant and mixture models to characterize the effects of multiple
simultaneous PFAS exposures. This work will advance our understanding of the health impacts of this
environmental exposure in a critical population of comm...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10823866
- **Project number:** 1F31ES036099-01
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Katherine Alexis Lubina
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $46,332
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-02-15 → 2026-02-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10823866

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10823866, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurrence and associations with dyslipidemia among community-based U.S. volunteer firefighters (1F31ES036099-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10823866. Licensed CC0.

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