Evaluating Textiles Found in Uniforms and Various Consumer Products for PFAS

Written by Heather W.

Another route of potential exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is through their use in a variety of textiles. The kinds of PFAS used in textiles include both polymeric and non-polymeric sources. Traditional methods involve liquid extraction of PFAS for targeted LC-MS/MS analysis of a small number (~50) of non-polymeric PFAS compounds. Screening for PFAS in textiles can be completed using PIGE to measure both polymeric and non-polymeric compounds, including those not routinely measured using targeted analysis techniques. The combination of rapid total-fluorine screening with validation through targeted analysis techniques allows us to measure for PFAS in a variety of samples.

To support the measurement of PFAS in textiles we utilize textile-specific calibration methods developed by undergraduate Megan Green. Measurement of PFAS in a variety of textiles including uniforms, firefighter gear, outdoor gear, as well as a variety of other consumer products. These projects are ongoing and include collaborations with researchers at the University of Toronto, Indiana University, and Green Science Policy Institute.

Publications

Alix E. Robel, Kristin Marshall, Margaret Dickinson, David Lunderberg, Craig Butt, Graham Peaslee, Heather M. Stapleton, and Jennifer A. Field Environmental Science & Technology 2017 51 (16), 9022-9032 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02080

Graham F. Peaslee, John T. Wilkinson, Sean R. McGuinness, Meghanne Tighe, Nicholas Caterisano, Seryeong Lee, Alec Gonzales, Matthew Roddy, Simon Mills, and Krystle Mitchell Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2020 7 (8), 594-599 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00410

Ritter, E. E.; Dickinson, M. E.; Harron, J. P.; Lunderberg, D. M.; DeYoung, P. A.; Robel, A. E.; Field, J. A.; Peaslee, G. F., PIGE as a screening tool for Per- and polyfluorinated substances in papers and textiles. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 2017, 407, 47-54.

Manuscripts in Preparation