Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Environmental Topics
  • Laws & Regulations
  • Report a Violation
  • About EPA
Risk Assessment
Contact Us

Associations Between PFAS Exposure via House Dust and Serum Levels in Eight Impacted Communities

On this page:

  • Overview
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.  

Impact/Purpose

This abstract (and the associated poster presentation) explores the role of indoor PFAS sources and pathways in communities impacted by the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). We explore the associations between PFAS levels in house dust and PFAS levels in the serum of residents, and explore potential determinants of dust exposure.

Citation

Minucci, J., N. Deluca, J. Durant, B. Goodwin, P. Kowalski, K. Scruton, K. Thomas, AND E. Cohen-Hubal. Associations Between PFAS Exposure via House Dust and Serum Levels in Eight Impacted Communities. 2024 National PFAS Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, June 10 - 12, 2024.
  • Risk Assessment Home
  • About Risk Assessment
  • Risk Recent Additions
  • Human Health Risk Assessment
  • Ecological Risk Assessment
  • Risk Advanced Search
    • Risk Publications
  • Risk Assessment Guidance
  • Risk Tools and Databases
  • Superfund Risk Assessment
  • Where you live
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on November 15, 2024
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshots
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.