Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax
Till de allra käraste jag har, Zacharias och Vincent.
You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you’re doing is work or play.
- Warren Beatty
Till de allra käraste jag har, Zacharias och Vincent.
You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you’re doing is work or play.
- Warren Beatty
Örebro Studies in Chemistry 11
H ELENA N ILSSON
Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax
© Helena Nilsson, 2012
Title: Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax Publisher: Örebro University 2012
www.publications.oru.se trycksaker@oru.se
Print: Örebro University, Repro 09/2012 ISSN 1651-4270
ISBN 978-91-7668-887-8
© Helena Nilsson, 2012
Title: Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax Publisher: Örebro University 2012
www.publications.oru.se trycksaker@oru.se
Print: Örebro University, Repro 09/2012 ISSN 1651-4270
ISBN 978-91-7668-887-8
Abstract
Helena Nilsson (2012): Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax.
Örebro Studies in Chemistry 11, 73 pp.
Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) are used in the production of ski wax to reduce the friction between the snow and the ski. In this occupa- tional study of ski wax technicians’ exposure to PFAS and particulate aero- sol we have collected whole blood (wb) (n=94), air (n=84) and aerosol (n=159) samples at World Cup events from 2007-2011.
We have analysed the blood, air and aerosol with respect to 13 perfluoro- carboxylic acids (PFCAs), 4 perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs), 3 fluorote- lomer alcohols (FTOHs), 3 fluorotelomer acids (FTCAs) and 3 unsaturated fluorotelomer acids (FTUCAs). Further, we assessed the exposure to 3 par- ticulate aerosol fractions (inhalable, respirable and total aerosol) in air.
In comparison to a general population, several of the PFCA blood levels are elevated in the technicians’, primarily perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononate (PFNA) with concentrations up to 628 and 163 ng/mL wb, respectively. Further, we detected FTUCAs and FTCAs in the blood, suggesting biotransformation of FTOHs to PFCAs. The metabolites 5:3 and 7:3 FTCA were detected in all blood samples at levels up to 6.1 and 3.9 ng/mL wb. Levels of perfluorohexadecanoic acid (PFHxDA) and per- fluorooctadecanoic acid (PFOcDA) were detected in the technician’s blood at mean concentration up to 4.22 ng/mL wb and 4.25 ng/mL wb.
The FTOH levels in air of the wax cabin during work ranged up to 997 000 ng/m 3 (average=114 000 ng/m 3 ) and PFOA up to 4 890 ng/m 3 (average= 526 ng/m 3 . FTOHs were not detected in aerosols but PFOA showed average levels of 12 000 ng/m 3 (range=1 230- 46 900 ng/m 3 ).
The occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 2 mg/m 3 was exceeded in 37%
of the personal measurements with aerosol concentrations up to 15 mg/m 3 . Keywords: Perfluorinated, polyfluorinated, FIS, occupational exposure, ski wax, biotransformation, metabolism, fluorotelomer alcohol, fluorotelomer acid, aerosol, dust, UPLC/MS-MS, GC/MS-MS
Helena Nilsson, School of Science and Technology, Örero University, SE-
701 82 Örebro, Sweden, helena.nilsson@oru.se
1. INTRODUCTION ... 13
2. PER- AND POLYFLUORINATED COMPOUNDS (PFAS) ... 14
2.1. F LUORINATED SKI WAX ... 15
2.1.1. Production and environmental distribution of ski wax and PFAS ... 16
2.1.2. Ski wax application and potential exposure ... 18
2.1.3. Guidelines of exposure ... 19
2.1.3.1. Waxing guidelines established by FIS ... 20
2.2. T HE GENERAL POPULATIONS ’ EXPOSURE TO PFAS ... 20
2.2.1. Internal (blood) and external (air, aerosol, diet) exposure ... 20
2.2.2. Exposure pathways ... 21
2.2.2.1 Food and drinking water ... 21
2.2.2.2. Inhalation of air and particulate aerosol ... 21
2.2.2.3. Dermal contact ... 22
2.3. B IOMONITORING OF HUMAN LEVELS ... 22
2.3.1. General population ... 22
2.3.2. Point source exposure ... 22
2.3.3. Occupational exposure ... 23
2.4. P HYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND PHARMACOKINETICS OF PFAS ... 23
2.4.1. Biotransformation of FTOH ... 23
2.5. H EALTH CONCERNS OF EXPOSURE TO FLUORINATED SKI WAX ... 25
2.6. C URRENT REGULATIONS ... 26
3. AIM OF THE SKI WAX EXPOSURE STUDY ... 28
3.1. P APER I ... 28
3.2. P APER II ... 28
3.3. P APER III ... 28
3.4. P APER IV ... 28
4. ASSESSMENT OF EXPOSURE ... 29
4.1. S TUDY DESIGN ... 29
4.2. P ARTICIPANTS ... 30
4.3. S AMPLING ... 31
4.3.1. Air ... 31
4.3.2. Blood ... 32
4.4. C HEMICAL ANALYSIS ... 32
4.4.1. Extraction ... 32
4.4.1.1. Blood ... 32
4.4.1.2. Air ... 33
4.4.1.3. Particulate aerosol ... 33
4.4.2. Analysis ... 33
4.4.2.1. GC analysis ... 33
4.4.2.2. LC analysis ... 34
4.5. Q UESTIONNAIRE ... 34
4.6. D ATA QUALITY ... 34
5. EXPOSURE TO PFAS AND AEROSOL THROUGH SKI WAX ... 35
5.1. I NTERNAL ( BLOOD ) EXPOSURE TO PFAS ... 37
5.2. E XTERNAL ( PARTICULATE AEROSOL AND AIR ) EXPOSURE TO PFAS ... 40
5.3. E XPOSURE TO PARTICULATE AEROSOL ... 44
5.4. P HARMACOKINETICS OBSERVED IN THE SKI WAX TECHNICIANS ... 49
5.5. E XPOSURE TO OTHER PRECURSORS ? ... 52
6. CONCLUSIONS ... 56
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... 57
8. REFERENCES ... 65
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α
β β
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σ
σ
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 35
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0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35
ng /mL w hol e b loo d
Technician 2
PFOA PFNA PFHpA 7:3 FTCA 8:2 FTUCA
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
0 5 10 15 20 25
PF OA n g/m L w hol e b loo d
ng /mL w ho le b lo od
Technician 3
PFNA
PFHpA
8:2 FTUCA
PFOA
7:3 FTCA
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 39
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
ng /m L w hol e bl ood
Technician 2
PFHxA PFHpA 6:2 FTUCA 5:3 FTCA
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
ng /mL w ho le b lo od
Technician 3
PFHxA
PFHpA
6:2 FTUCA
5:3 FTCA
I H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax 40
0 20 000 40 000 60 000 80 000 100 000
ng/ m 3
PFCAs in aerosol, stationary
Respirable
Inhalable
30 9 6 21 33 3 6 01
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 41
0 10 000 20 000 30 000 40 000 50 000 60 000
ng/ m 3
PFCAs in total aerosol
Personal Stationary
478 410 75 135 14 2 54 7 279 113 11 8 46 9
I H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax 42
0 20 000 40 000 60 000 80 000 100 000 120 000 140 000 160 000 180 000 200 000
ng/ m 3
PFAS in air (SPE ENV+)
Stationary Personal
996 567 949 294
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 43
I H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax 44
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 45
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Kuus am o 2 00 7 Va l di Fi em me 20 08 Ot epää 2 00 8 Osl o 2 00 8 Gäl livare 2 00 8 Va l di Fi em me 20 09 Fal un 2 00 9 Dr am me n 2 01 0 Osl o 2 01 0 Fal un 2 01 0
mg /m3 a ir
I H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax 46
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 47
I H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax 48
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 49
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SPEprov ME Kollen08
10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 50.00Time
%
0 100
Spectra of peak at 17.40 min
SPEprov ME Kollen08
50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750m/z
%
0
100 465
57
59 69 427
839597 109 123 137163177189 227 377395405 428 463466493
505 508 533 542558581591599620632636663671683700727743 747
SPEprov ME Kollen08
10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 50.00Time
%
0 100
Spectra of peak at 17.40 min
SPEprov ME Kollen08
50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750m/z
%
0
100 465
57
59 69 427
839597 109 123 137163177189 227 377395405 428 463466493
505508 533 542558581591599620632636663671683700727743 747
465
P5 Hx
6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00 34.00 36.00 38.00 40.00 42.00 44.00 46.00 48.00 50.00 52.00 54.00 56.00 58.00Time
%
0 100
P5 Tol
Time
6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00 34.00 36.00 38.00 40.00 42.00 44.00 46.00 48.00 50.00 52.00 54.00 56.00 58.00
%
0 100
H elena N ilsson Occupational exposure to fluorinated ski wax I 55
test P5 MeOH
5.00 7.50 10.00 12.50 15.00 17.50 20.00Time
%
0 100
P5 Tol
50 75 100125150175200225250275300325350375400425450475500525550575600625650675700725750m/z
%
0 100 57
59 69 7183 95
109137151163165177207223225 251253281285297310 340355365368 429447 552 723734
P5 Tol
5.00 7.50 10.00 12.50 15.00 17.50 20.00Time
%
0 100
Spectra of peak at 19.09 min
P5 Hx
8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00Time
%
0 100
Spectra of peak at 15.40 min
P5 Hx
50 75100 125150 175200 225250 275300 325350 375400 425450 475500 525550 575600 625650 675700 725750m/z
%
0 10057
429
59 6993
73 97111 125137149165179181207223225251254281297309325341356 365373400417 430
431 432445
447 473476487513525 610 714735745749