A Chemical Category-Based Prioritization Approach for Selecting 75 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) for...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are prevalent environmental contaminants.
• Limited toxicity and exposure data exist for many PFASs, hindering comprehensive risk assessment.
• Traditional toxicity testing methods are resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a risk-based approach for PFAS toxicity testing.
• To create a PFAS screening library and select a targeted subset for testing.
• To inform hazard characterization and human health assessments for PFASs.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a PFAS screening library.
• Selection of 75 PFASs based on EPA interest, structural diversity, exposure, and data availability.
• Application of in vitro high-throughput toxicity (HTT) testing.

Main Results:

• A targeted subset of 75 PFASs was identified for HTT.
• The selected PFASs represent diverse chemical structures and exposure potentials.
• This approach facilitates efficient hazard characterization.

Conclusions:

• Generating targeted HTT data for PFASs is a novel approach for prioritizing testing.
• This strategy aids in the efficient assessment of PFAS human health risks.
• Collaboration between EPA and NTP advances PFAS risk-based toxicity testing.