Paints are widely used in indoor settings yet there are no data for volatile per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for paints or knowledge if paints are potentially important sources of human exposure to PFAS. Different commercial paints (n = 27) were collected from local hardware stores and analyzed for volatile PFAS by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS), nonvolatile PFAS by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-qTOF), and total fluorine by 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Diluted paint required clean up to remove 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (diPAP), which thermally transforms into 6:2 FTOH at 280 °C (GC inlet temperature). Only 6:2 FTOH (0.9−83 μg/g) and 6:2 diPAP (0.073−58 μg/g) were found in five exterior and nine interior paints and only accounted for a maximum of 17% of total fluorine. Upon drying, 40% of the FTOH mass was lost, and the loss was verified by measurements of the cumulative FTOH mass measured in the air of a small, confined space over a 3 h period. Based on the liquid paint results, the ConsExpo model was used for potential exposure assessment and one commercial paint exceeded the chosen reference dose (5 μg/kg-day) for children and adults, indicating the potential for human exposure during painting.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) co-occur at sites where aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) were used as part of firefighter training exercises or in response to emergencies (e.g., crashes). Till date, there are no data on PFAS in field-collected, light NAPLs (LNAPLs) recovered from groundwater wells on US military bases. Analytical methods were developed for target and suspect nonvolatile (anionic) and volatile (neutral) PFAS in field-collected LNAPLs. The validated methods were demonstrated on 17 LNAPL samples collected from the subsurface at five military installations with known AFFF impacts and where LNAPL releases date 10−70 years ago. Target and suspect anionic PFAS associated with AFFF of either electrochemical fluorination or fluorotelomerization origin were quantified and semi-quantified, respectively, in 11 LNAPLs. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) occurred at the highest frequency, ranging from 110 to 11,100 ng/L. As a class, perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides occur at a frequency similar to that of PFOS, but at higher concentrations, with the C6 homolog ranging up to 67,500 ng/L. Only one LNAPL had quantifiable neutral PFAS (6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol), indicating potential biotransformation and/or volatilization. Residual LNAPLs at AFFF-impacted field sites may represent an undetected reservoir of PFAS that must be considered when designing remedial actions.