Kebede Mahlet M, Terry Leigh G, Clement T Prabhakar, Mekonnen Mesfin M
Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States.
ACS ES T Water. 2024 Aug 2;4(9):3882-3892. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c00198. eCollection 2024 Sep 13.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) released from common consumer products, such as cosmetics and carpets, are nonpoint sources of environmental contamination. However, detailed information on PFAS mass and emission rates from these products is limited. Here, we propose a methodology to develop PFAS footprint from the manufacturing and supply chain data of cosmetics and carpets. Our analysis combines geospatial and statistical assessments to understand how the production and consumption of these products contribute to existing PFAS contamination hotspots in the Continental United States (CONUS). Statewide mass estimations revealed that North Carolina and New York contribute to the major PFAS mass released from cosmetics, while Georgia and California contribute to the major PFAS mass released from carpets. The average per capita PFAS footprint from carpets and cosmetics is about 103 mg/year. Upon disposal, over 60% of the mass eventually ends up in landfills. The accumulation of PFAS stocks in landfills, primarily from carpets and to some extent from cosmetics, highlights the critical need to cease the production and use of PFAS in consumer products. Coastal counties are particularly vulnerable due to higher population and therefore higher consumption of these PFAS-tainted consumer products. Additionally, counties with densely populated areas and with preexisting contamination sources would face increased vulnerability to PFAS contamination released from various consumer products.
从化妆品和地毯等常见消费品中释放的全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是环境污染的非点源。然而，关于这些产品中PFAS质量和排放率的详细信息有限。在此，我们提出一种方法，根据化妆品和地毯的制造及供应链数据来绘制PFAS足迹。我们的分析结合了地理空间和统计评估，以了解这些产品的生产和消费如何导致美国本土（CONUS）现有的PFAS污染热点。全州范围的质量估计显示，北卡罗来纳州和纽约州是化妆品中释放的主要PFAS质量的来源地，而佐治亚州和加利福尼亚州是地毯中释放的主要PFAS质量的来源地。地毯和化妆品的人均PFAS足迹平均约为每年103毫克。在处置时，超过60%的质量最终进入垃圾填埋场。垃圾填埋场中PFAS库存的积累，主要来自地毯，在一定程度上也来自化妆品，凸显了停止在消费品中生产和使用PFAS的迫切需求。沿海县尤其脆弱，因为人口较多，因此对这些受PFAS污染的消费品的消费量也较高。此外，人口密集地区且存在现有污染源的县，将面临来自各种消费品释放的PFAS污染的更高脆弱性。
