Assessment of Methods to Collect and Analyze Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Air, Dust and Soil Final Report Agreement Number 19RD019 Principal Investigator: Asa Bradman, PhD, MS Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health University of California - Berkeley February 2021 Prepared for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Report Authors Asa Bradman, PhD Rosemary Castorina, PhD Teja Pattabhiraman Anuroop Nirula Monice Wong, B.A. Sion Calabretta Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health University of California - Berkeley 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265 Berkeley, CA 94704 i Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for sponsoring this study and especially CARB staff members Dr. Yirui Liang and Patrick Wong. We also thank Randy Maddalena with the Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Division at LBNL and Gary Hunt, Principal Scientist with TRC Environmental Corporation, for their insightful comments and contributions to the report. The statements and conclusions in this Report are those of the contractor and not necessarily those of the California Air Resources Board. The mention of commercial products, their source, or their use in connection with material reported herein is not to be construed as actual or implied endorsement of such products. ii Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................vii Glossary of PFAS Terms and Abbreviations ......................................................................... x Glossary of Other Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols .......................................................xii Body of Report ......................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 2 Literature Review of PFAS Health Effects, Sources in Outdoor and Indoor Air, and Air Sampling and Analytic Methods (Task 1) ............................................................................... 2 2.1 Literature Review of PFAS Health Effects .................................................................... 2 2.1.1 Literature Search Strategy on Health Effect of PFASs ............................................... 2 2.2 Noncancer Health Effect of PFASs ............................................................................... 3 2.2.1 Pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia ....................................................... 3 2.2.2 Liver toxicity............................................................................................................... 4 2.2.3 High Cholesterol ........................................................................................................ 5 2.2.4 Thyroid disease ......................................................................................................... 5 2.2.5 Immunotoxicity .......................................................................................................... 6 2.2.6 Ulcerative colitis ........................................................................................................ 6 2.2.7 Noncancer Health Effects of PFASs in Children ........................................................ 7 2.2.7.1 Decreased birth weight ........................................................................................... 7 2.2.7.2 Dyslipidemia ........................................................................................................... 8 2.2.7.3 Excess adiposity, obesity ........................................................................................ 8 2.2.7.4 Immunity ................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.7.5 Asthma ................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.7.6 Renal function ........................................................................................................ 9 2.2.7.7 Age at menarche ...................................................................................................10 2.3 Carcinogenic Health Effects of PFASs ........................................................................10 2.3.1 Carcinogenicity .........................................................................................................10 2.4 PFAS Exposure to California Residents .....................................................................11 2.4.1 Dominant exposure pathways for different PFASs ....................................................11 2.4.2 Peer-reviewed Studies of PFAS Exposure among California Residents ...................12 2.4.3 Biomonitoring California Studies ...............................................................................16 2.5 Comparison of California PFAS exposure levels to NHANES ....................................19 2.5.1 California studies in adults compared to NHANES....................................................19 2.5.2 California studies in women compared to NHANES ..................................................22 2.5.3 Summary ..................................................................................................................24 2.6 Current California regulations of PFASs .....................................................................24 2.6.1 California Regulations of PFASs in Water ................................................................24 2.6.2 California’s Proposition 65 ........................................................................................26 2.6.3 California Regulations of PFASs in Air ......................................................................27 2.6.4 California Regulations of PFAS Use in Chrome Plating Operations ..........................28 2.6.5 Recent California Ban on PFASs Use in Firefighting Foams .....................................28 2.6.6 California Priority Products .......................................................................................29 3 Sources of PFASs in Outdoor & Indoor Air and the Potential for Long-Range Transport (Task 1B) ..................................................................................................................................29 iii 3.1 Potential for Long-range transport of PFASs and PFAS precursors .........................33 3.6.1 Contamination of Drinking Water Supplies ...............................................................34 3.2 PFAS Concentrations in Outdoor Air and Indoor Air ..................................................34 3.2.1 PFAS Levels in Outdoor Air ......................................................................................34 3.2.2 Rainwater and other environmental monitoring media as an indicator of PFAS emissions into the air .........................................................................................................37 3.2.3 PFAS Levels in Indoor Air (North American Studies) ................................................37 3.2.4 Fluorotelomer Levels in Indoor Air Samples .............................................................42 4 Evaluation of air sampling methods for PFAS compounds (Task 1C) ............................43 4.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................43 4.2 Active vs. Passive Air Sampling ..................................................................................44 4.2.1 Annular Diffusion Denuder Samplers ........................................................................44 4.3 PFAS Air Sampling Methods in Selected Studies .......................................................48 4.4 Equipment and Media Requirements for Air Monitoring Studies of Select PFASs ..50 4.5 Air Sample Volume, Recoveries and Detection Limits for Measuring PFASs..........51 4.6 Air Sampling Method / Media Effectiveness ................................................................54 4.6.1 Passive Air Sampling ................................................................................................54 4.6.2 Active Air Sampling ..................................................................................................55 4.7 Feasibility of PFAS Air Sampling Methods in Different Environments .....................56 4.8 US EPA Methods ...........................................................................................................57 4.9 Summary ........................................................................................................................57 5 Analytical Laboratory Methods for Analyzing PFASs in Air (Task 1D) ............................57 5.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................57 5.2 Description of Analytical Methods ...............................................................................59 5.2.1 Analysis of Volatile PFASs in Outdoor Air ................................................................59 5.2.2 Analysis of Ionic Compounds in Outdoor Air ............................................................60 5.2.3 Indoor Air Sample Analysis .......................................................................................61 5.2.4 Air Sample Extraction Methods.................................................................................62