Cited by 135Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchFluoride Effects and RemovalToxic Organic Pollutants Impact

Assessing human health risks from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-impacted vegetable consumption: A tiered modeling approach

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Brown, Juliane B., Conder, Jason M., Arblaster, Jennifer A., Higgins, Christopher P.·2020·Environmental Science & Technology

Abstract

Irrigation water or soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) raises concerns among regulators tasked with protecting human health from potential PFAS-contaminated food crops, with several studies identifying crop uptake as an important exposure pathway. We estimated daily dietary exposure intake of individual PFASs in vegetables for children and adults using Monte Carlo simulation in a tiered stochastic modeling approach: exposures were the highest for young children (1-2 years > adults > 3-5 years > 6-11 years > 12-19 years). Using the lowest available human health toxicity reference values (RfDs) and no additional exposure, estimated fifth percentile risk-based threshold concentrations in irrigation water were 38 ng/L (median 180 ng/L) for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and 140 ng/L (median 850 ng/L) for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Thus, consumption of vegetables irrigated with PFAS-impacted water that meets the current 70 ng/L of PFOA and PFOS U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime health advisory for drinking water may or may not be protective of vegetable exposures to these contaminants. Hazard analyses using real-world PFAS-contaminated groundwater data for a hypothetical farm showed estimated exposures to most PFASs exceeding available or derived RfDs, indicating water-to-crop transfer is an important exposure pathway for communities with PFAS-impacted irrigation water.

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Crossref · 10.1021/acs.est.0c03411

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  • Fresh produce and fruits can significantly contribute to PFAS exposure, particularly when irrigated with contaminated water.

    “Additionally, fresh produce and fruits can significantly contribute to PFAS exposure, particularly when irrigated with contaminated water [195].”

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Authors
Brown, J. B., Conder, J. M., Arblaster, J. A., & Higgins, C. P.
Affiliations
  • Colorado School of Mines (US)
  • Geosyntec Consultants (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Higgins, Christopher P.
Venue
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2020-11-17
Volume
54
Issue
23
Pages
15202-15214
ISSN
  • 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-5851
OpenAlex
W3098579522
Cited by
135
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 1
FWCI
5.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (NA)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (G18A112656081)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Fluoride Effects and Removal
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Keywords
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, vegetable consumption, dietary exposure, children's exposure, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, groundwater contamination, hazard analysis
MeSH terms
Adult, Caprylates, Child, Child, Preschool, Fluorocarbons, Humans, Vegetables, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Groundwater, Drinking Water

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