Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in house dust
Kayoko Kato1, Antonia M Calafat, Larry L Needham
1Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy., Mailstop F53, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Environmental Research
|March 6, 2009
Summary
A new method accurately measures 17 polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) in house dust. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and related compounds were frequently detected, highlighting potential indoor environmental contamination.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) are persistent organic pollutants found globally.
- House dust is a significant reservoir for indoor exposure to various chemicals, including PFCs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a high-throughput analytical method for quantifying 17 PFCs in house dust.
- To assess the prevalence and concentrations of specific PFCs in household dust samples.
Main Methods:
- On-line solid-phase extraction coupled with isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (on-line SPE-HPLC-MS/MS).
- Sample preparation involved dust dispersion, filtration, internal standard addition, and automated SPE-HPLC-MS/MS analysis.
- Method validation included assessment of limits of quantitation and accuracy at two spike levels.
Main Results:
- The method achieved limits of quantitation below 4.0 ng/g with high accuracy (73.2%–100.2%).
- Six PFCs, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBuS), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), were detected in over 70% of 39 analyzed house dust samples.
- PFOS, PFBuS, and PFHxS were found at the highest median concentrations, followed by N-ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (Et-PFOSA-AcOH) and N-methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido ethanol (Me-PFOSA-EtOH).
Conclusions:
- The developed on-line SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method is effective for simultaneous determination of multiple PFCs in house dust.
- The frequent detection of specific PFCs in house dust indicates widespread indoor contamination and potential human exposure pathways.
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