Development of Toxicity Reference Values (TRVs) for Birds Exposed to PFOS, PFOA and Associated Mixtures of Fluorinated Compounds

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. They were used extensively in the formulation ofaqueous film forming foams (AFFF). The Department of Defense used these AFFF formulations since approximately 1970 for fire-training andemergency response. Two manufacturing techniques for PFAS produced varying individual components. The 3M company produced PFAS, andsubsequently AFFF, using electrochemical fluorination while Ansul produced AFFF using DuPonts fluorotelomer based PFAS. Due to their use andstorage, release of these chemicals to the environment is significant. In the environment, exposure to PFAS from wildlife is probable in areascontaminated with AFFF. However, to date, there are few studies that have examined the effects of PFAS in avian species that provide datameeting the criteria for development of toxicity reference values (TRVs) used to evaluate environmental risks posed by AFFF use.