A Critical Review of Scientific Data Pertaining to Dermal Exposures to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Targeted literature review synthesizing exposure studies without formal systematic methodology
PubMed 41968802 · doi:10.1111/risa.70245
What was done
Targeted literature review assessing scientific evidence on dermal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure across three domains: transfer and loading onto the skin, empirical dermal exposure assessment factors, and estimates of external and internal doses across exposure sources. The authors synthesized 37 identified studies spanning cosmetics and personal care products (n = 18), clothing (n = 8), dust (n = 6), and other scenarios such as electronic waste and site contamination (n = 5).
What was found
Estimates of external human dermal exposure for individual compounds and total PFAS were generally <1 ng/kg-bw/day, although select scenarios yielded estimates >100 ng/kg-bw/day. Across the reviewed literature, dermal exposure represented a minor fraction of total PFAS intake compared to other pathways (such as oral ingestion). The toxicological significance of these dermal exposure levels remains undetermined.
Why it matters
This review compiles the sparse data on dermal PFAS uptake, showing that for most consumer scenarios, skin contact contributes minimally to total body burden relative to oral or other routes.
Limits
The review was targeted rather than a PRISMA-compliant systematic review. The evidence base is heterogeneous with substantial variation across product types, limited direct empirical uptake measurements, and an absence of data clarifying the toxicological consequences of low-level dermal exposures.
Cited by
- supports PFAS chemicals are added to stain- and water-resistant fabrics and clothing, including flight attendant uniforms, firefighter gear, sportswear, and children's school uniforms.