Biological and Environmental Sampling at ATSDR PFAS Exposure Assessment Sites

BACKGROUND AND AIM The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted biomonitoring exposure assessments (EAs) in communities near U.S. military installations that have documented exposures to PFAS in drinking water. Drinking water concentrations of PFAS were mitigated prior to initiation of the biomonitoring efforts. METHODSEAs were conducted in ten communities using a community sampling design to determine the distribution of PFAS serum concentrations in communities with recent or past exposure to PFAS in drinking water. PFAS urine concentrations were measured in a subset of participants and PFAS concentrations in indoor dust and tap water were collected from a subset of participating households. All participants completed a questionnaire to gather information to characterize each person’s exposure. Responses to the exposure history questionnaire were evaluated to identify demographic and exposure characteristics associated with PFAS levels in serum. RESULTSThe results of the EA in two locations, Hampden County Massachusetts and New Castle Delaware, will be presented. The primary PFAS elevated in serum included PFHxS, PFOS and PFOA, which were associated with drinking water exposure.  PFHxS was the most elevated PFAS in serum with levels being 9.8 times higher than the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) national average level in Delaware and 4 times higher in Massachusetts. Males had higher PFAS serum levels than females at both locations; additional site-specific findings regarding serum levels and demographic and exposure characteristics information will be presented. Dust sampling results indicated that non-drinking water sources of PFAS may also contribute to exposure. CONCLUSIONS The relationships between historical maximum concentrations of PFAS measured in drinking water supplies at the sites and concentrations of PFAS measured in serum will be presented. Additional environmental sampling is being conducted in partnership with U.S. EPA in Delaware and Massachusetts to evaluate potential non-drinking water exposures to PFAS.

Impact/Purpose

Under Section 8006 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, CDC/ATSDR was required to conduct statistically based biomonitoring exposure assessments (EAs) at “no less than eight current or former domestic military installations” that have or have had documented exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The intention of the EAs was to determine how exposure to PFAS in drinking water in communities near the military installations may have impacted levels of PFAS in serum and urine. In addition to serum and urine testing, tap water and indoor dust were also sampled in a subset of homes. The results of the EA in two locations, Hampden County Massachusetts, and New Castle Delaware, will be presented.  A Cooperative Interagency Agreement between EPA and ATSDR was established in 2020 with funding from SHC to further evaluate potential non-drinking water exposure in EA participants.  Under this IAA, additional environmental sampling is being conducted in partnership in these two communities to evaluate potential non-drinking water exposures to PFAS.

Citation

Minucci, J., K. Scruton, B. Goodwin, R. Rogers, P. Kowalski, A. Pomales, E. Hubal, AND K. Thomas. Biological and Environmental Sampling at ATSDR PFAS Exposure Assessment Sites. 34th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Athens, GREECE, September 18 - 21, 2022.