PFAS/2023/04 Annex B

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: evaluation of thyroid effects

Literature search

Search terms

1. Search terms presented in the EFSA opinion were replicated for the searches.

Scopus (search terms in all fields)

(TITLE-ABS-KEY (perfluoro* OR pfos OR pfoa OR pfas OR ‘fluorotelomer alcohol’ AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (toxicity OR toxi* OR acute OR subacute OR subchronic OR chronic OR mutagen* OR carcino* OR reprotox* OR nephrotox* OR neurotox* OR hepatotox* OR immune OR immuno* OR ‘developmental tox*’ OR thyroid OR endocri* OR endocrine OR estrogen OR oestrogen OR fertility OR tumour OR tumor OR gestat* OR lactat* OR ‘DNA damage’ OR mortality OR adverse OR ‘adverse effect’ OR ‘blood lipid*’ OR ‘serum lipid*’ OR PPAR OR ‘ex vivo’ OR ‘in vitro’ OR ‘in vivo’ OR exvivo OR invitro OR invivo OR cell* OR tissue* OR rodent* OR mouse OR animal* OR rat* OR mice OR rabbit* OR dog* OR monkey* OR ‘experimental animal*’ OR ‘lab* animal* OR ‘lab* animal*’ AND ( EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "CHEM" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "MATE" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "CENG" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "ENGI" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "PHYS" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "COMP" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "EART" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "ENER" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "SOCI" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "ECON" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "BUSI" ) OR EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "ARTS" ) ) AND ( LIMIT-TO ( DOCTYPE , "ar" ) OR LIMIT-TO ( DOCTYPE , "re" ) ) AND ( LIMIT-TO ( LANGUAGE , "English" ) OR EXCLUDE ( LANGUAGE , "Russian" ) OR EXCLUDE ( LANGUAGE , "Spanish" ) ) AND ( EXCLUDE ( LANGUAGE , "Italian" ) ) AND ( EXCLUDE ( SUBJAREA , "MATH" )): 5449

PubMed (search terms in title and abstract)

((“perfluoro*“[Title/Abstract] OR “pfos” [Title/Abstract] OR “pfoa”[Title/Abstract] OR “pfas” [Title/Abstract] OR “fluorotelomer alcohol” [Title/Abstract] AND “toxi*”[Title/Abstract] OR “acute” [Title/Abstract] OR” subacute” [Title/Abstract] OR “subchronic” [Title/Abstract] OR “chronic” [Title/Abstract] OR “mutagen*” [Title/Abstract] OR “carcino*”[Title/Abstract] OR “reprotox*” [Title/Abstract] OR “nephrotox*” [Title/Abstract] OR “neurotox*”[Title/Abstract] OR “hepatotox* [Title/Abstract] OR ”immune” [Title/Abstract] OR “immuno*”[Title/Abstract] OR “developmental tox*”[Title/Abstract] OR” thyroid” [Title/Abstract] OR “endocri*” [Title/Abstract] OR “endocrine”[Title/Abstract] OR “estrogen”[Title/Abstract] OR “oestrogen”[Title/Abstract] OR “fertility” [Title/Abstract] OR ”tumour”[Title/Abstract] OR “tumor”[Title/Abstract] OR “gestat*” [Title/Abstract] OR “lactat*”[Title/Abstract] OR “DNA damage” [Title/Abstract] OR “mortality” [Title/Abstract] OR “adverse” [Title/Abstract] OR “adverse effect” OR “blood lipid” [Title/Abstract] OR “serum lipid*” [Title/Abstract] OR “PPAR” [Title/Abstract] OR “ex vivo”[Title/Abstract] OR “in vitro” [Title/Abstract] OR “in vivo” [Title/Abstract] OR “exvivo”[Title/Abstract] OR “invitro” [Title/Abstract] OR “invivo” [Title/Abstract] OR” cell*”[Title/Abstract] OR “tissue*”[Title/Abstract] OR “rodent*”[Title/Abstract] OR “mouse”[Title/Abstract] OR “animal*”[Title/Abstract] OR “rat*"[Title/Abstract] OR E”mice” [Title/Abstract] OR “rabbit*”[Title/Abstract] OR “dog*”[Title/Abstract] OR “monkey*”[Title/Abstract] OR “experimental animal*”[Title/Abstract] OR “lab* animal*”[Title/Abstract] OR “‘lab* animal*[Title/Abstract] AND (English[Filter])): 2569

2. Data from both searches were combined and duplicates removed giving a total of 3397 papers.
3. To identify papers on specific endpoints key words were used to search in all fields in Endnote. Key words included, but were not limited to,

• Thyro,
• TSH,
• T3,
• T4,
• Thyroxine,
• Triiodothryronine,
• Hypertrophy,
• Thyroid stimulating hormone.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

4. Generic inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were applied to the data retrieved (Table 19).

Table 19. Generic inclusion and exclusion criteria used during primary screening of titles