Associations Between PFAS Exposure via House Dust and Serum Levels in Eight Impacted Communities
On this page:
Communities adjacent to sites where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are manufactured, stored, or used may be at elevated risk of exposure and adverse health effects. In these impacted communities, significant exposure often occurs through drinking water, but less is known about the importance of other pathways. Here, we analyzed paired serum and house dust data from ATSDR’s PFAS Exposure Assessments, which sampled eight U.S. communities with a history of drinking water contamination from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). We found that homes with higher PFAS levels in dust had residents with significantly higher serum PFAS levels for three of seven PFAS (PFNA, PFDA, MeFOSAA) and altered relative abundances in serum that suggested exposure from non-drinking water sources. Additionally, we found that dust PFAS levels for some analytes were significantly higher in homes where participants were older and had lived at the home longer, cleaned less frequently, used stain resistant products, and had carpeted living rooms. Our results suggest that even in communities impacted by AFFF contamination of drinking water, house dust and other indoor pathways may still appreciably contribute to body burden of PFAS, and the magnitude of this exposure is influenced by demographic, behavioral, and housing factors.