Evaluating the geographic distribution of rural PFAS contamination and potential dietary sources of exposure

Aside from specific occupational exposures, ingestion is believed to be the primary route of exposure to PFAS, a class of forever chemicals known for their ability to repel oil and water, reduce friction, and resist high temperatures. The goal was to explore the geographic distribution of PFAS water contamination versus human exposure and identify dietary factors that may explain high PFAS levels among rural residents. We performed PFAS analyses among 160 rural participants, who provided blood samples and survey responses in our chemical exposure cross-sectional study. We mapped the geographic distribution of PFAS contamination based on water testing versus human samples results. We also used health surveys and food frequency questionnaire data to identify factors associated with high PFAS levels. The geographic mismatch between the distribution of PFAS water contamination and human exposure highlights the need to assess other potential sources, which identified potential dietary sources of these chemical hazards.