# Determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in air samples from urban areas close to industrial complexes and human risk assessment

## TL;DR

A new method to detect PFAS chemicals in urban air near industrial areas found common pollutants with low health risks for humans.

## Contribution

A novel analytical method for detecting PFAS in air samples with detailed risk assessment for urban populations.

## Key findings

- PFBA, PFPA, and PFOS were the most prevalent PFAS compounds detected in all samples.
- Estimated daily intakes showed low non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for all age groups.
- PFDA contributed the most to non-carcinogenic risk, followed by PFOS and PFOA.

## Abstract

An analytical method based on PM10 active sampling followed by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed to determine 20 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The method had good quality parameters, with method detection limits between 0.01 and 0.30 pg m−3, method quantification limits between 0.57 and 1.8 pg m−3, and recoveries above 75% for all target compounds. Analysis of air samples from two urban locations near industrial zones in Tarragona (Spain) revealed the widespread occurrence of PFASs, with perfluoro-n-butanoic acid (PFBA), perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPA), and sodium perfluoro-1-octanesulfonate (PFOS) as the most prevalent compounds at both sites. These three compounds were detected in all the samples analyzed, with the highest concentrations being 202 pg m−3 for PFBA, 178 pg m−3 for PFPA, and 109 pg m−3 for PFOS. Estimated daily intakes were calculated for infants, children, and adults under two scenarios. Risk assessment results showed individual non-carcinogenic risk values ranging from 2.4E-08 for perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid (PFUnDA) to 3.8E-01 for perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA), with the sum of all values remaining below the benchmark of 1, indicating that the risk is low. The compounds contributing most to the non-carcinogenic risk were PFDA (66.6%), PFOS (28.2%), and perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA, 5.10%). The carcinogenic risk was assessed for PFOS and PFOA, with the combined values in the range of 1.2E-06 to 3.7E-05, indicating also a low risk.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-026-37431-6.