PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding

作者：Amila O. De Silva, James M. Armitage, Thomas A. Bruton, Clifton Dassuncao, Wendy Heiger‐Bernays, Xindi C. Hu, Anna Kärrman, Barry C. Kelly, Carla A. Ng, Anna R. Robuck, Mei Sun, Thomas F. Webster, Elsie M. Sunderland · 发表于：Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1002/etc.4935 · 被引用次数：816 · 研究领域：Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research、Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact、Air Quality and Health Impacts

We synthesize current understanding of the magnitudes and methods for assessing human and wildlife exposures to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Most human exposure assessments have focused on 2 to 5 legacy PFAS, and wildlife assessments are typically limited to targeted PFAS (up to ~30 substances). However, shifts in chemical production are occurring rapidly, and targeted methods for detecting PFAS have not kept pace with these changes. Total fluorine measurements complemented by suspect screening using high-resolution mass spectrometry are thus emerging as essential tools for PFAS exposure assessment. Such methods enable researchers to better understand contributions from precursor compounds that degrade into terminal perfluoroalkyl acids. Available data suggest that diet is the major human exposure pathway for some PFAS, but there is large variability across populations and PFAS compounds. Additional data on total fluorine in exposure media and the fraction of unidentified organofluorine are needed. Drinking water has been established as the major exposure source in contaminated communities. As water supplies are remediated, for the general population, exposures from dust, personal care products, indoor environments, and other sources may be more important. A major challenge for exposure assessments is the lack of statistically representative population surveys. For wildlife, bioaccumulation processes differ substantially between PFAS and neutral lipophilic orga...