PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of manmade chemicals used across many facets of our lives. There are thousands of different PFAS with widespread usage and application across several industries.

But the same properties that make PFAS so attractive for consumer and commercial use also contribute to potential exposure and human health risks. PFAS are made up of chains of carbon and fluorine atoms. The carbon-fluorine bond is arguably the strongest chemical bond in nature. This means that PFAS do not readily degrade in the environment or in the human body and is why they have the nickname “forever chemicals.”

Data shows that approximately 97% of Americans have detectable blood levels of PFAS, but we do not fully understand how exposures occur and what the potential health consequences are. Limited studies have linked PFAS exposure to:

• Altered fetal development
• Impaired cognitive ability in young children
• Negative effects on reproductive health
• Immune system disorders
• Prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers

Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI), in partnership with Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, is conducting a multi-phase research study that will provide key insights into human exposure risks and toxicological outcomes from the use of certain performance textiles, including:

1. Develop methods for identifying and quantifying PFAS in the textiles,
2. Acquire baseline data on PFAS in the textiles,
3. Evaluate and compare PFAS release from the textiles, and
4. Explore the parameters that influence PFAS exposure levels during use.

To conduct this research, CIRI will utilize their state-of-the-art human exposure chambers and specialty equipment and techniques to evaluate possible exposure from use of the textiles. They will study the potential inhalation of PFAS in the air, ingestion of PFAS in settled dust around the textile, and exposure from dermal, or skin, transfer.