PFAS Multimedia Human Exposure Assessment in the Private Well Community Outside Fayetteville, NC

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of chemicals used as water and oil repellents. Previous studies have established that drinking water is a primary exposure route; however, the influence of indoor dust exposure is unclear. This study examined PFAS associations in 77 participants with measurements of PFAS in blood serum, well water, and household dust collected from a population residing near the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical facility in North Carolina. Previously, serum levels of Nafion byproduct-2, a byproduct of PFAS production at the Fayetteville facility, were positively correlated with levels in drinking water. A linear regression model was used to examine the relative contributions of water and dust to serum Nafion byproduct-2. Serum Nafion byproduct-2 levels were positively associated with both well water and household dust concentrations.