Measurements of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on Indoor Surfaces during IPA Campaign
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) consist of >4,000 man-made compounds. Due to their water-repellant and non-stick properties, PFAS are used as coatings on cookware, outdoor apparel, textiles, and in personal care products. Some PFAS are associated with negative health effects including hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and thyroid disease. Despite the prevalence of potential sources indoors, there are few measurements of indoor PFAS. As part of the Indoor PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign, wipe samples were collected from windows and mounted glass slabs to study partitioning of PFAS from air to surfaces. Surfaces were wiped with methanol-wetted Kimwipes at baseline, 1-month, and 3-months in the living rooms of ten homes in North Carolina. At the first visit, windows were sampled prior to cleaning and then cleaned and wiped for a background sample. Glass slabs (40cm x 40cm x 0.635 cm) were mounted in homes at the first visit to serve as a controlled surface with reduced exposure to sunlight and temperature changes that the windows may experience. Slabs were cleaned after mounting and a background wipe sample was collected. Baseline, 1-month and 3-month wipe samples from windows and glass slabs will be analyzed using Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Tandem Mass Spectrometry (AB Sciex Triple Quad 6500) for 21 ionic PFAS and four polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (6:2 monoPAP, 8:2 monoPAP, 6:2 diPAP, and 8:2 diPAP) using authentic standards for quantitation. PFAS concentrations and profiles from each home will be discussed and the rate of PFAS uptake reported.