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Vapor Intrusion Potential of Select Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Published by U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Metadata Last Checked: August 02, 2025 | Last Modified: 2022-07-14
Certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have sufficient vapor pressures to be designated as vapor-forming chemicals and; thus, be a concern for vapor intrusion into the indoor air of residences and buildings overlying a contaminated soil or groundwater source. Multiple PFAS species, both neutral (e.g., fluorotelomer alcohols) and ionic (e.g., perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids), were found in the groundwater, soil, soil gas, and subslab soil gas. With the presence of PFAS in these matrices, a vapor intrusion pathway has been established. This initial research effort provides regulators with scientific evidence that will help them decide whether VI should be evaluated at the hundreds of sites where PFAS are reasonably expected to have been released to the subsurface. This dataset is associated with the following publications: Schumacher, B., J. Zimmerman, A. Williams, C. Lutes, C. Holton, E. Escobar, H. Hayes, and R. Warrier. Distribution of select per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances at a chemical manufacturing plant. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 464: 133025, (2024). Schumacher, B., J. Zimmerman, K. Bronstein, R. Warrier, C. Lutes, E. Escobar, and A. Williams. Subsurface Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Distribution at Two Contaminated Sites. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA, 2023.

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