Understanding the exposure pathways of per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFASs) via use of PFASs-containing products – risk estimation for man and environment

The contribution of outdoor jackets as a source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) regarding the environmental and human exposure in Germany and other member states of the European Union (EU) has been investigated. Following the development of robust and validated analytical methods for 24 different PFASs, a total of five impregnating agents and 16 different jackets were analyzed. Estimating in the worst case scenario for Germany, a surplus in the import of approximately 80 Million PFASs-containing outdoor jackets, these jackets do contribute with an amount of 0.27 kg PFOA as one particular source among many others to the PFASs burden for man and the aquatic environment.