September 12, 2018
Toxics Use Reduction Institute Science Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
September 12, 2018
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection – 2nd Floor, 1 Winter Street, Boston
1 PM
Members present: David Williams (Chair), Christy Foran, Chris Rioux, Hilary Hackbart, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Amy Cannon, Denise Kmetzo, Margo Newman
Members not present: Robin Dodson, Ken Weinberg, Heather Lynch
Program staff present: Liz Harriman (TURI), Heather Tenney (TURI), Maia Rodriguez-Semp (OTA), Tsedash Zewdie (MassDEP), Mary Butow (TURI)
Others present: Katherine Robertson (MCTA), Trisha McCarthy (Coyne Legislative Services for ACC), Steve Korzeniowski (FluoroCouncil), Jessica Bowman (FluoroCouncil), Erin DeSantis(ACC), Bill Coyne (Coyne Legislative Services for ACC), Raha Abu Bakar Sadiqih (BU student), Melissa Miller (BU Student)
Welcome and Introductions
Program Updates
See handout.
Vote for new Vice-Chair
Board member, Hilary Hackbart, nominated Robin Dodson. Robin indicated her willingness to serve prior to the meeting. No other nominations were put forth.
Vote: Unanimous – 8 in favor.
Approve April Meeting Minutes
Vote: Unanimous – 8 in favor.
PFAS Discussion and Potential vote
The Board’s discussion of PFAS began about 2 years ago with PFOA and PFOS. PFOA, PFOS, and their salts were recommended to be listed based on their PBT characteristics. Following that, epidemiological information from the C8 Science Panel was reviewed. The short chain perfluorinated substances, PFBA, PFBS, PFHxA, and PFHxS, and their salts were recommended at the April meeting to be listed under TURA.
The Board decided to start with the list of concerns for the previously reviewed substances and comment on whether or not the following substances had similar concerns based on the currently available information.
PFNA
Concerns from the dry erase board with discussion notes:
*Persistence – substantial evidence regarding extreme persistence (Lambert 2011, NJ); human ½ life 2x PFOA
*Bioaccumulation – more in air breathing mammals than gill breathing species (Surma 2015, ECHA 2015, Houde 2006)
Toxicity (Acute) – unpublished study
Mobility/long range transport –Tomy 2009 Biomagnification study in Beluga whales;
Thyroid, Liver and Endocrine – Grouped as metabolic effects
*Neurotoxicity – 4 studies. Oulhote ’16, (Lien 2016) inverse relationship
*Developmental/Repro – Das 2015
Corrosivity – corrosive
*Mutagenicity – Yahia 2016
*Immunotoxicity – Fang 2008, Rockwell 2013, 2017 (mice); Chen 2018 (epi) animal studies consistent with the epi
Chronic Toxicity NJ MCL
A Board member noted that there are discussions about very low combined PFAS drinking water standards NJ has recently established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFNA of 13 ppt (parts per trillion = ng/L). It was noted that it is the first MCL since the 1996 Arsenic update. Another Board member noted that CT set a 70 ppt action level for combined PFAS in drinking water. MA has also set a combined guidance level of 70 ppt. In addition to PFNA, NJ established a guidance value for PFOA of 14 ppt, and the NJ Drinking Water Quality Institute has published a health based recommendation of 13 ppt for PFOS. Another Board member noted that the clean-up level at Otis AFB for ethylene dibromide (EDB) is set to 20 ppt. That substance is known to be very toxic, and the NJ MCL is lower. NJ relied heavily on the Das 2015 study showing reduced pup weight for the MCL.
A Board member noted an article in ES&T that focused on comparing the PFPAs and PFPiAs to other PFCAs and PFSAs at various locations in North America. (DeSilva 2016)
PFNA is corrosive in concentrated form (skin irritant, eye irritant, pKa = -0.21). There is a long human half-life > 1.7 years (ECHA 2015).
Board members discussed whether “Liver,” “Endocrine,” and “Thyroid” should be grouped as metabolic effects. They noted that liver/endocrine thinking has evolved – the field is looking at broader metabolic effects. The Board should consider framing the information as metabolic effects (as opposed to liver effects (e.g. increased liver weight)). A Board member added to previous comments about metabolic effects, saying that they see an integration of different systemic effects, and newer evidence is telling a
story of how they are connected. Although the story is not complete and not all mechanisms are known, more connections are being seen. The effects for liver, endocrine, thyroid, cholesterol, and others are connected.
A Board member expressed concern about generational effects based on positive mutagenicity results. There was also concern noted about combined chronic effects.
It was noted that the acute toxicity value was from an unpublished study, and was based on a commercial mixture.
A visitor noted TURA encourages companies to move from harmful chemistry to safer alternatives, and asked what the purpose of investigating/analyzing PFNA is since it is not a chemical or chemistry that is presently being used commercially in the United States or Europe. The Program noted that it is unknown if the substance is in use or not since it would not currently be reported under TURA. The Program is trying to understand how the effects vary over the carbon chain length with this group of chemicals. A Board member noted that if effects are additive, then it is important to understand all the substances, even if they are not currently in use.
In response to the question of PFNA being used or being found in products now, a visitor noted that companies in the business of manufacturing PFAS chemicals make information publicly available through the EPA PFOA Stewardship program. They noted it is a global chemical, it is possible a company in China could be producing it.
A Board member noted that results have been presented elsewhere that indicate concern about PFAS compounds found in consumer products (e.g. from Home Depot) and also the limitations of current quantitative methods due to the products used in sampling containing many types of PFAS compounds. One product mentioned with regard to cross contamination was “Plumber’s Tape”. The speaker at the MCTA workshop earlier in the year noted they found banned PFAS in the plumber’s tape. The presentation and information was noted to be on the MCTA website.
There was concern expressed by visitors with regard to grouping the substances into a category. The Zurich Statement was mentioned in which a group of scientists supported developing a grouping approach to make the PFAS category manageable. The Program will post that on the Lib Guide for the next meeting.
A visitor noted that PFNA would be a breakdown of long chain fluorotelomers, but they are not currently in use.
The program will check into whether PFNA was mentioned in the Grandjean – Faroes Islands study.
There was a question about degradation of precursors; NICNAS states that precursors to PFNA could also break down to PFOA – TURI will research.
It was noted that US carpets transitioned out of longer chain PFAS in 2006.
A visitor from ACC raised concerns about the process. They noted that they did not have time to review or prepare comments on the EHS Summaries. The Program noted that the materials for this meeting were the same as for the June meeting which had to postponed for lack of a quorum (with minor edits indicated in blue), and that no comments had been received for the June meeting. The Board decided to delay the vote so that visitors would have time to review and comment on the EHS Summaries.
PFHpA
The Board decided to continue discussion on PFHpA with the understanding that the vote on the substance will be at the next meeting.
Concerns from the dry erase board:
*Persistence - Persistent
Bioaccumulation – (Zhao 2013) displays bioaccumulation potential, but less than longer [chains]
Mobility – Measured in Antarctic birds/penguins – long range transport
*Liver – Effects on serum/signaling PPAR gamma mediated
Developmental – Kim 2015 developmental toxicity
Corrosivity – Corrosive [in concentrated form]
Toxicokinetics – 70 days; 1.5 years* half-life human
DEP Looked at due to structure
Tsedash noted that MassDEP is reviewing the ATSDR profile to add/incorporate information. She mentioned that PFHpA was reviewed by MassDEP due to structure.
A Board member noted there doesn’t seem to be as much information for PFHpA. It was noted that it is still persistent, corrosive and has liver effects.
It was noted by a visitor that the substance is not currently made or used. The Program is interested in the chemical because it is a breakdown product of chemicals that are or have been used in MA, and has been found in MA drinking water supplies.
A visitor noted that it is a short chain substance, but they have concerns about the grouping. They also noted that Colorado took it out of their grouping of chemicals.
A Board member requested an update to page 7 of the EHS summary, specifically, the section on “Health Based Exposure Limits”. They requested moving the CT DPH information to the “Other” section, and adding the MA-DEP ORS guidance information to the “Other” section. They also asked for a clarification in the Zhang et al 2013a reference in the Toxicokinetics section.
PFAS Precursors and Range of Substances
The Program distributed an annotated version of Figure 2 from the OECD document, “Schematic overview of the structure categories of identified PFASs”, and the ITRC fact sheet on Naming Conventions.
A Board member noted that the GenX ether compounds and precursors have two ethers (oxygen) separated by two carbons inserted in the fluorinated carbon alkyl chains. That arrangement often helps with biodegradability, but it is uncertain with large fluorine atoms if that would still be the case.
A Fluorocouncil visitor stated that the GenX compounds are designed to be functional, stable, and with a better toxicity profile than PFOA and PFNA, which they were developed to replace.
A variety of fluoroether substances have been detected in the Cape Fear river basin where Chemours has a plant that uses GenX compounds. It was noted that that GenX is persistent and doesn’t appear to breakdown to PFCAs or PFSAs which are the substances the SAB has been reviewing.
A visitor noted that OECD and ACC are working together to try to create better terminology for improved communication purposes.
Next Meeting
October 25th – 12pm
Handouts
Draft EHS Summary for PFHpA
Draft EHS Summary for PFNA
OECD 2018 chart, Figure 2 “Schematic overview of the structure categories of identified PFASs” (Annotated by Program)
ITRC Fact Sheets “Naming Conventions and Physical and Chemical Properties of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances”