Understanding potential exposure sources of perfluorinated carboxylic acids in the workplace.

ABSTRACT: This paper integrates perspectives from analytical chemistry, environmental engineering, and industrial hygiene to better understand how workers may be exposed to perfluorinated carboxylic acids when handling them in the workplace in order to identify appropriate exposure controls. Due to the dramatic difference in physical properties of the protonated acid form and the anionic form, this family of chemicals provides unique industrial hygiene challenges. Workplace monitoring, experimental data, and modeling results were used to ascertain the most probable workplace exposure sources and transport mechanisms for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its ammonium salt (APFO). PFOA is biopersistent and its measurement in the blood has been used to assess human exposure since it integrates exposure

SUBMITTER: Kaiser MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2984390 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature