Abstract
This study determined reference values of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure in the general Korean population. Serum samples from 2,993 adults in the fourth Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) (2018 -2020) were analyzed for five PFAS: perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). The geometric means (GMs) and 95th percentile concentrations of serum PFOA were 6.43 and 16.55 μg/L, respectively; those of PFOS were 15.07 and 43.96 μg/L; 4.17 and 14.91 μg/L for PFHxS; 2.06 and 5.98 μg/L for PFNA; and 0.91 and 2.40 μg/L for PFDA. Higher serum PFAS concentrations were observed in older adults, men, former smokers, and frequent seafood consumers. Exposure levels also varied based on socioeconomic factors such as income and education. Additionally, participants residing in coastal areas exhibited higher serum PFAS concentrations, whereas higher PFHxS levels were observed in those living near industrial complexes. Higher concentrations of PFDA and PFNA were detected in participants consuming local drinking water (GMs, 3.29, 2.86 and 2.82 μg/L for local-based water, tap water and purifier or mineral water for PFNA; 1.43, 1.22 and 1.20 μg/L for PFDA; p-values were <0.05). These findings suggest that the Korean PFAS exposure level is relatively high, and may be related with residential and lifestyle characteristics.