Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products

Abstract

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in a wide range of products of all day life. Due to their toxicological potential, an emerging focus is directed towards their exposure to humans. This study investigated the PFAS load of consumer products in a broad perspective. Perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (C4, C6–C8, C10-PFSA), carboxylic acids (C4–C14-PFCA) and fluorotelomer alcohols (4:2, 6:2; 8:2 and 10:2 FTOH) were analysed in 115 random samples of consumer products including textiles (outdoor materials), carpets, cleaning and impregnating agents, leather samples, baking and sandwich papers, paper baking forms and ski waxes. PFCA and PFSA were analysed by HPLC-MS/MS, whereas FTOH were detected by GC/CI-MS. Consumer products such as cleaning agents or some baking and sandwich papers show low or negligible PFSA and PFCA contents. On the other hand, high PFAS levels were identified in ski waxes (up to about 2000 μg/kg PFOA), leather samples (up to about 200 μg/kg PFBA and 120 μg/kg PFBS), outdoor textiles (up to 19 μg/m2 PFOA) and some other baking papers (up to 15 μg/m2 PFOA). Moreover, some test samples like carpet and leather samples and outdoor materials exceeded the EU regulatory threshold value for PFOS (1 μg/m2). A diverse mixture of PFASs can be found in consumer products for all fields of daily use in varying concentrations. This study proves the importance of screening and monitoring of consumer products for PFAS loads and the necessity for an action to regulate the use of PFASs, especially PFOA, in consumer products.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4202-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Serum perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and associations with behavioral attributes

“…Even-chain PFCAs were generally detected more frequently in serum than odd-chain compounds, reflective of the heavier usage of even-chain chemicals in commerce as well as degradation pathways of these compounds (Kotthoff et al, 2015). While we did not examine the presence of polyfluorinated substances (PFAA precursors) in the serum, we expect that our internal serum levels are adequately representative of exposure due to the short half-lives of known precursors in the body (Butt et al, 2014).…”

Serum perfluoroalkyl substances and cardiometabolic consequences in adolescents exposed to the World Trade Center disaster and a matched comparison group

“…1 Elevated concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a group of chemicals widely used in various building and construction material, 2 upholstery, carpet, and nonstick cookware, 3,4 have been found in window films and in samples of dust, water, sediment, and sewage collected in and around the WTC site. 5–7 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently established drinking water health advisories of 0.07 micrograms per liter for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), two of the most environmentally persistent PFASs.…”

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances through the consumption of fish from lakes affected by aqueous film-forming foam emissions — A combined epidemiological and exposure modeling approach. The SAMINOR 2 Clinical Study

“…The perfluoroalkyl moiety provides unparalleled surface activity and stability to thermal and chemical degradation, thus PFASs have been widely used in consumer products and industrial processes (Kotthoff et al, 2015;Paul et al, 2009). PFASs include a wide range of chemical structures with various functional groups, perfluoroalkyl chain-lengths, and isomeric conformations.…”

“…Human exposure to PFASs can occur via contact with consumer products, ingestion of house dust, transfer from food packaging, or via drinking water (Domingo, 2012;Fromme et al, 2009;Kotthoff et al, 2015;Miralles-Marco and Harrad, 2015). However, an increasing number of studies have emphasized the importance of dietary intake as an exposure pathway Fromme et al, 2009;Harada and Koizumi, 2009;Vestergren et al, 2008).…”