Online Serum PFOA Calculator for Adults.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Pharmacokinetics

Background:

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a widespread environmental contaminant found in numerous U.S. public water systems.
• Epidemiological studies often use serum PFOA concentrations to assess exposure, necessitating methods to relate this to drinking water intake.
• Pharmacokinetic modeling is crucial for comparing drinking water PFOA levels with serum concentrations and study findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe an accessible online Javascript calculator for estimating serum PFOA concentrations.
• To provide a tool for visualizing PFOA pharmacokinetics in adults exposed via drinking water.
• To demonstrate the calculator's utility in scenarios of ongoing exposure and post-filtration reduction.

Main Methods:

• Development of an online Javascript-based pharmacokinetic calculator.
• Modeling serum PFOA concentrations over time and at steady state.
• Simulation of scenarios involving initiation and cessation of PFOA-contaminated water consumption.

Main Results:

• The calculator provides easy plotting of expected serum PFOA concentrations.
• Demonstrated ability to model increasing serum PFOA levels during continuous consumption of contaminated water.
• Showcased the tool's capacity to model decreasing serum PFOA levels after implementing water filtration.

Conclusions:

• The developed calculator offers a practical tool for assessing human exposure to PFOA from drinking water.
• It aids in understanding the relationship between environmental PFOA contamination and internal dose.
• The tool can inform public health assessments and strategies for managing PFOA exposure.