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Organic fluorine and per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in residential air conditioning condensate
Citation:
Amparo, D., H. Liberatore, M. Strynar, N. Chang, C. Eichler, J. Zhou, G. Morrison, AND B. Turpin. Organic fluorine and per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in residential air conditioning condensate. Indoor Air, Kuopio, FINLAND, June 12 - 16, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Studying the occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) indoors is important for understanding human exposure to PFAS in homes, apartments, and offices. During warm and humid periods, operation of the air conditioning (AC) unit produces condensate, containing water-soluble compounds from the air including some PFAS. The AC condensate of nine homes was sampled and analyzed for target PFAS species as well as total PFAS via total organic fluorine methods. The analyses of condensate samples provides estimation of AC condensate as a sink for indoor PFAS.
Description:
Understanding the occurrence, sources, and sinks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) indoors is important for quantifying human exposure to PFAS in homes, apartments, and offices. During warm and humid periods, operation of the air conditioning (AC) unit produces condensate that is discharged outside the home. Many PFAS are water-soluble which suggests that AC condensate could act as a net sink. As part of the Integrated PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign, we measured adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF), extractable organic fluorine (EOF), and targeted individual PFAS species in AC condensate collected from 9 homes during July and August 2021. Combustion ion chromatography (CIC) was used to measure AOF and EOF in AC condensate samples. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for targeted molecular level analyses. Samples were passed through pre-packed activated carbon cartridges to trap PFAS for AOF analysis via CIC, while aliquots of SPE extracts were analyzed for EOF. AOF analyte recovery tests conducted with a specific set of ionic, volatile, and neutral PFAS species resulted in recoveries ranging between 31-78%. Preliminary results indicate the presence of at least 16 ionic PFAS species in AC condensate at concentrations ranging from 0.04 pg/mL to 7.29 pg/mL. A fluorine balance based on AOF, EOF, and targeted analyses will estimate the magnitude of AC condensate as a sink for indoor PFAS. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.