Table 3.
Analytical values of PFOS, PFOA (ng/mL blood), MEHP and total BPA (ng/mL serum) in enrolled women grouped by area of residence and subject group.
| Chemicals | PFOS | PFOA | MEHP | BPA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Areas | infertile | fertile | infertile | fertile | infertile | fertile | infertile | fertile | |
| Total | mean | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 37.9 | 13.1 | 10.6 | 4.8 |
| (110 infertile; | median | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | 8.3 | 3.3 | <0.5 | <0.5 |
| 43 fertile) | 25th p # | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <2 | <2 | <0.5 | <0.5 |
| 75th p | 0.86 | <0.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 26.8 | 11.3 | 9.4 | <0.5 | |
| %>LOD | 30.00% | 20.90% | 40.90% | 34.90% | 62.70% | 58.10% | 41.80% | 23.30% | |
| Metropolitan | mean | 6.9 | 4.5 | 0.6 | <0.4 | 75.3 | 32.3 | 19.5 | 7.3 |
| (49 infertile; | median | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 a | <0.4 a | 23.1 a | 12.1 a | 14.9 a,* | <0.5 * |
| 13 fertile) | 25th p | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <2 | <2 | <0.5 | <0.5 |
| 75th p | 2.9 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | 127.4 | 18.2 | 25.8 | <0.5 | |
| %>LOD | 30.6% | 7.7% | 10.2% | 0.0% | 69.4% | 69.2% | 71.4% | 23.1% | |
| Urban | mean | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 8.4 | 6.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| (38 infertile; | median | <0.4 | <0.4 | 3.6 b | 1.1 b | 4.4 b | 3.7 a | <0.5 b | <0.5 |
| 22 fertile) | 25th p | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <2 | <2 | <0.5 | <0.5 |
| 75th p | 0.6 | <0.4 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 3.8 | 5.4 | |
| %>LOD | 26.3% | 22.7% | 71.1% | 50.0% | 73.7% | 72.7% | 26.3% | 27.3% | |
| Rural | mean | 1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 7.2 | <2 | 6 | 7.8 |
| (23 infertile; | median | <0.4 | <0.4 | 2.2 b | 1.6 b | <2 b | <2 b | <0.5 b | <0.5 |
| 8 fertile) | 25th p | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <0.4 | <2 | <2 | <0.5 | <0.5 |
| 75th p | 0.9 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 18.6 | <2 | <0.5 | <0.5 | |
| %>LOD | 34.8% | 37.5% | 56.5% | 50.0% | 30.4% | 0.0% | 4.4% | 12.5% | |
LOD = 0.4 ng/mL for PFOS and PFOA; 2 ng/mL for MEHP; 0.5 ng/mL for BPA. * indicates statistically significant different values between fertile and infertile women in the same area of residence (Mann-Whitney test corrected with the Bonferroni procedure). a,b Different superscript letters indicate statistically significant different values between areas within subjects of the same group (Mann-Whitney test corrected with the Bonferroni procedure). # 25th and 75th p indicate percentile values.