Investigation of outdoor textiles and gear with respect to determine the content of ionic perfluorinated substances (PFASs). Evaluation of results.

Abstract

NILU has on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency determined the concentration of ionic perfluorinated substances (PFASs), including PFOA, in outdoor gear. Of the investigated 18 items, no PFAS could be detected at all in nine of them. Two samples contained PFOA exceeding the limit of 1 µg/m2. The quality assurance where three replicates of one sample were extracted had a relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 10% for all detected substances except one (PFTrDA). Other quality measures such as recovery calculations and blanks shows that the method used for extraction is suitable for these types of matrices and substances. PFOS was not present in the items investigated, indicating that the textile industry manages to effectively avoid PFOS in their production processes.