Residential Garden\nProduce Harvested Near a Fluorochemical\nManufacturer in North Carolina Can Be An Important Fluoroether Exposure\nPathway

Dietary intake can be an important exposure route to\nper- and polyfluoroalkyl\nsubstances (PFASs). Little is known about the bioaccumulation of emerging\nper- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs) in garden produce from\nPFAS-impacted communities and the associated dietary exposure risk.\nIn this study, 53 produce samples were collected from five residential\ngardens near a fluorochemical manufacturer. Summed PFAS concentrations\nranged from 0.0026 to 38 ng/g wet weight of produce, and water-rich\nproduce exhibited the highest PFAS levels. The PFAS signature was\ndominated by PFEAs, and hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (commonly\nknown as GenX) was detected in 72% of samples. Based on average measured\nGenX concentrations, chronic-exposure daily limits were as low as\n289 g produce/day for children (3–6 yr). This analysis does\nnot consider other PFEAs that were present at higher concentrations,\nbut for which reference doses were not available. This study revealed\nthat consuming residential garden produce grown in PFAS-impacted communities\ncan be an important exposure pathway.