US EPA

2668947 

Journal Article 

Occurrence of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in personal care products and compounding agents 

Fujii, Y; Harada, KH; Koizumi, A 

2013 

Yes 

Chemosphere
ISSN: 0045-6535
EISSN: 1879-1298 

Elsevier Ltd 

OXFORD 

93 

3 

538-544 

English 

23932147 

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.06.049 

WOS:000324456700013 

Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are persistent organic pollutants that pose human health risks. However, sources of contamination and exposure pathways of PFCAs have not been explored. In this study, PFCA concentrations were quantified in personal care products. Among 24 samples that listed fluorinated compounds, such as polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (PAPs), in their international nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients (INCI) labels, 21 contained PFCAs (13 of 15 cosmetic samples, and 8 of 9 sunscreen samples). The concentrations of total PFCAs ranged from not detected to 5.9 mu g g(-1) for cosmetics and from not detected to 19 mu g g(-1) for sunscreens. We also investigated components of PFCAs in cosmetics and sunscreens. Commercially available compounding agents, mica and talc, which were treated with PAPs were analyzed and high concentrations of PFCAs were detected (total PFCAs 2.5 mu g g(-1) for talc treated with PAPs, 35.0 mu g g(-1) for mica treated with PAPs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on contamination of end consumer products containing PAPs with high concentrations of PFCAs. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 

Perfluorocarboxylate; Perfluorooctanoic acid; Personal care products; Cosmetics; Polyfluoroalkyl phosphate ester; GC-MS