Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Environ Int. 2021 Jan;146:106247. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106247. Epub 2020 Dec 1.
The fluorochemical industry is an important emission source of atmospheric perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). In this study, air samples were collected through active high-volume air samplers coupled with Tissuquartz™ filters around a fluorochemical manufacturer, and analyzed for PFAAs levels. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was dominant with concentrations as high as 9730 pg/m, followed by short chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs). The PFAAs in the air were compared to those measured in outdoor dust and rain collected in the same area. Short chain PFCAs had a greater distribution in air, while PFOA was more distributed in dust and rain. With increasing concentrations, a significant decreasing trend for PFOA was observed in rain (P < 0.05). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of PFOA via indoor air inhalation by five age groups were calculated in two scenarios, and compared to the strictest tolerable daily intake (TDI) of PFOA (≤0.63 ng/kg bw/day). Potential health risk occurred in the best-case scenario, while the EDI from the worst-case scenario was comparable to that via indoor dust ingestion, indicating a notable health risk. This suggests that in terms of PFOA exposure and health risks, air inhalation may be as important as dust ingestion. These results highlight the impacts of PFAAs emissions from the fluorochemical industry to the atmosphere and ultimately, human health.
含氟化学工业是大气全氟烷基酸（PFAAs）的重要排放源。本研究通过在含氟化学品制造商周围使用主动式大容量空气采样器结合 Tissuquartz™ 过滤器收集空气样本，并对 PFAAs 水平进行分析。全氟辛酸（PFOA）是主要的物质，浓度高达 9730 pg/m，其次是短链全氟烷酸（PFCAs）。空气中的 PFAAs 与在同一地区收集的户外灰尘和雨中测量的 PFAAs 进行了比较。短链 PFCAs 在空气中的分布更大，而 PFOA 在灰尘和雨中的分布更多。随着浓度的增加，雨水中 PFOA 的浓度呈显著下降趋势（P < 0.05）。通过两种情景计算了五个年龄组通过室内空气吸入 PFOA 的估计每日摄入量（EDI），并与 PFOA 的最严格耐受每日摄入量（TDI）（≤0.63 ng/kg bw/day）进行了比较。在最佳情况下存在潜在的健康风险，而在最坏情况下的 EDI 与通过室内灰尘摄入的 EDI 相当，表明存在显著的健康风险。这表明，就 PFOA 的暴露和健康风险而言，空气吸入可能与灰尘摄入一样重要。这些结果强调了含氟化学工业向大气排放 PFAAs 对环境和最终对人类健康的影响。
