Dataset Information

Organic Fluorine as an Indicator of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Dust from Buildings with Healthier versus Conventional Materials.

ABSTRACT: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of persistent, organic fluorinated chemicals added to materials and products mainly to repel stains and water. PFAS have been associated with many adverse human health effects. We aimed to determine whether buildings with "healthier" materials─defined here as reportedly free of all PFAS─exhibit lower PFAS in dust. In addition to analyzing targeted PFAS with available commercial standards, we measured extractable organic fluorine (EOF) as a novel proxy that includes both known and unknown types of PFAS. We measured at least 15 targeted PFAS (n = 24), EOF (n = 24), and total fluorine (TF; n = 14) in dust collected from university common spaces and classrooms, half of which had "healthier" furniture and carpet. We observed lower PFAS contamination in buildings with "healthier" materials: "healthier" rooms had a 66% lower median summed PFAS and a 49% lower Kaplan-Meier estimated mean EOF level in dust in comparison to conventional rooms. The summed targeted PFAS were significantly correlated with EOF but accounted for up to only 9% of EOF, indicating the likely presence of unidentified PFAS. EOF levels explained less than 1% of TF in dust. We emphasize the need to use chemical class-based methods (e.g., EOF) for evaluating class-based solutions and to expand non-PFAS solutions for other building materials.

SUBMITTER: Young AS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9730836 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Organic Fluorine as an Indicator of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Dust from Buildings with Healthier versus Conventional Materials.

Young Anna S AS Pickard Heidi M HM Sunderland Elsie M EM Allen Joseph G JG

Environmental science & technology 20221104 23

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of persistent, organic fluorinated chemicals added to materials and products mainly to repel stains and water. PFAS have been associated with many adverse human health effects. We aimed to determine whether buildings with "healthier" materials─defined here as reportedly free of all PFAS─exhibit lower PFAS in dust. In addition to analyzing targeted PFAS with available commercial standards, we measured extractable organic fluorine ...[more]

PMID: 36331119

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Project description:BackgroundIncreasing restrictions for chemicals of concern in plastic packaging materials have created an urgent need to accurately detect and quantify these chemicals. Total fluorine measurements have been utilized to screen for highly scrutinized per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in food packaging materials. Inorganic contributions to the total fluorine signal can result in false positive signals exceeding regulatory limits.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to develop a method for determining the contribution of talc inorganic filler to the total fluorine signal.MethodThe influence of talc on total fluorine measurements of plastics was evaluated by compounding talc with virgin polypropylene (PP) and then measuring the total fluorine concentration using oxidative pyrohydrolytic combustion ion chromatography. This study provides a framework to predict the contribution of talc in plastic samples to the total fluorine signal.ResultsA near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) method was developed by employing the full width half height (FWHH) of the interstitial fluorine characteristic band of talc. The FWHH signal of the processed puck specimens was determined to be linearly increase with the measured total fluorine difference as a function of talc concentration (R2 = 0.9619).ConclusionsThis study developed a method to predict the contribution of talc fillers to the total fluorine signal of plastic samples. This method is critical for accurately determining the regulatory compliance of talc-filled plastic samples for PFAS using total fluorine.HighlightsTotal fluorine is a common regulatory compliance technique as an indicator of PFAS. Talc is a common plastic filler that contains fluorine as a contaminant. The fluorine in talc contributes to the total fluorine signal, which can falsely elevate the total fluorine signal, potentially resulting in the lack of regulatory compliance. The developed method serves as a framework of how to identify the fluorine contribution of inorganic fillers in plastics.

Project description:Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a wide range of products and have been found ubiquitously in our indoor environment, and there is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse endocrine effects, such as thyroid hormone disruption. Pet cats have a high dust intake due to their grooming behavior and have been shown to be a suitable sentinel species for assessment of toddler's exposure. Here we used paired household dust (n=46) and cat serum (n=27) samples to establish whether dust is a relevant exposure pathway to PFASs. An analytical method for PFAS analysis was optimized using a low volume of cat serum samples, combining solid-phase extraction and online sample cleanup. Dust was extracted with methanol by sonication and cleaned up by addition of active carbon. In total, 27 PFASs were analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. The correlation between PFAS levels in dust and serum, serum lipids and thyroid hormone levels, and PFAS levels in dust between different rooms were statistically evaluated. PFOS and PFDA could be quantified in all cat serum samples (median 2300 pg/mL and 430 pg/mL, respectively), followed by PFOA (median 1100 pg/mL), quantified in 96% of the samples. The levels of 6:2 and 8:2 diPAPs were determined in 65% and 92% of the serum samples, respectively, and were an order of magnitude lower (1.4-160 pg/mL). Household dust on the other hand was dominated by 6:2 and 8:2 diPAPs, with a median of 65 ng/g dust and 49 ng/g dust, respectively. PFOS (median 13 ng/g dust) and PFOA (median 9 ng/g dust) were quantified in 93% of the dust samples. Only eight PFASs were detected (>LOD) in at least 50% of the samples of both matrices and could be paired. Significant correlations between cat serum and dust were found for PFOA (rS=0.32, p<0.049) and PFUnDA (rS=0.55, p<0.001). Significant positive correlations were found between serum total thyroxine (rS=0.11, p<0.05) and PFNA and between serum cholesterol and PFHpA (rS=0.46, p<0.01), PFUnDA (rS=0.40, p<0.05), PFDoDA (rS=0.44, p<0.01), and sum PFAS (rS=0.48, p<0.01). In conclusion, this study confirmed that dust is a relevant exposure pathway for the ingestion of some PFASs for cats, and the serum levels of PFASs could be of relevance for the cat's health.

Dataset Information

Organic Fluorine as an Indicator of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Dust from Buildings with Healthier versus Conventional Materials.

Publications

Organic Fluorine as an Indicator of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Dust from Buildings with Healthier versus Conventional Materials.

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