Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in North Carolina Homes: Results from the Indoor PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign

Abstract

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the indoor environment, resulting in indoor exposures. However, a dearth of concurrent indoor multi-compartment PFAS measurements, including air, has limited our understanding of the contributions of each exposure pathway to residential PFAS exposure. As part of the Indoor PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign, we measured 35 neutral and ionic PFAS in air, settled dust, drinking water, clothing, and on surfaces in 11 North Carolina homes. Ionic and neutral PFAS measurements reported previously and ionic PFAS measurements reported herein for drinking water (1.4 – 34.1 ng L-1), dust (202 - 1036 ng g-1), and surfaces (4.1E-4 – 1.7E-2 ng cm-2) were used to conduct a residential indoor PFAS exposure assessment. We considered inhalation of air, ingestion of drinking water and dust, mouthing of clothing (children only), as well as transdermal uptake from contact with dust, air, and surfaces. Average intake rates were estimated to be 3.6 ng kg-1 d-1 (adults) and 12.4 ng kg-1 d-1 (2-year-old), with neutral PFAS contributing over 80% total PFAS intake. Excluding dietary ingestion, which was not measured, inhalation contributed over 65% of PFAS intake and was dominated by neutral PFAS because fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) concentrations in air were several orders of magnitude greater than ionic PFAS concentrations. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) intake was 6.1E-02 ng kg-1 d-1 (adults) and 1.5E-1 ng kg-1 d-1 (2-year-old), and biotransformation of 8:2 FTOH to PFOA increased this PFOA body burden by 14% (adults) and 17% (2-year-old), suggesting inhalation is a meaningful contributor to ionic PFAS exposure.

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Sep 2024
Accepted
01 Nov 2024
First published
04 Nov 2024

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Accepted Manuscript

Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in North Carolina Homes: Results from the Indoor PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign

N. Y. Chang, C. M.A. Eichler, E. Hubal, G. Morrison, J. D. Surratt and B. J. Turpin, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4EM00525B

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