Results of Environmental Sampling Letter

Appendix G2: Results Letter for Environmental Sampling

PFAS Exposure Assessment

Example Result Letter, Environmental Sampling

[Insert Date]

[Name

Address

City, State, Zip code]

Dear [Insert Name],

Thank you for being a part of the [Insert State Health Department] PFAS exposure assessment. We tested your household drinking water and indoor dust for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We are grateful for allowing us to collect samples from your home for this project. This letter is to give you your test results along with what they mean. You may share these results if you would like – it’s your choice.

The Results of Your Drinking Water Test

Table 1 provides a list of all the specific PFAS that we measured in your drinking water. The table also lists the acronyms for the PFAS.

Table 1 also shows any federal or state drinking water concentration screening values for these PFAS. These screening values serve as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely at potential health effects from the environment.

Your results are is in units of micrograms per liter (µg/L). One µg/L equals one part per billion, equivalent to about one drop of ink in a large tanker ship.

Table 1: Your PFAS drinking water levels compared to federal and state screening values.

PFAS	Your Level in µg/L	Screening value in µg/L	Source of Screening Value
PFBuS	[insert level]	[insert level]	[insert level]
PFDeA
PFDoA
PFHpA
PFHxS
PFNA
PFOA
PFOS
PFOSA
Et-PFOSA-AcOH
Me-PFOSA-AcOH
PFUA
ND – Not detected.

If any of your PFAS drinking water results are in bold, then it exceeds a screening value. This means that your drinking water contains one or more PFAS at levels that are higher than is recommended by a federal or state environmental or health agency.

If your result is not bold, then it does not exceed a screening value. This means that the levels of PFAS in your drinking water are not expected to increase your risk of harmful health effects.

[Use text below only if one or more PFAS levels exceed a screening value.]

Your drinking water had levels of [insert name of PFAS that exceed screening value] that exceeded a federal or state screening value. We recommend that you consider using an alternative water source for drinking, cooking, or any activity that causes you to swallow water. It is not necessary to use an alternative water source for bathing, washing dishes, or doing laundry.

The Results of Your Indoor Dust Test

Table 2 provides a list of all the specific PFAS that we measured in your indoor dust. The table also lists the acronyms for the PFAS. Your results are is in units of micrograms per liter (µg/L). One µg/L equals one part per billion, equivalent to about one drop of ink in a large tanker ship.

This exposure assessment is one of the first to measure PFAS in indoor dust. Because of this, we cannot tell you what a safe level of PFAS in indoor dust is.

However, your results will help us to understand how people are exposed to PFAS in indoor dust. We will share our findings with you in our final report.

Table 2: Your PFAS indoor dust levels.

PFAS	Abbreviation	Your Level in µg/kg
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid	PFTreA	[insert level]
Perfluorotridecanoic acid	PFTriA
Perfluorododecanoic acid	PFDoA
Perfluoroundecanoic acid	PFUnA
Perfluorodecanoic acid	PFDA
Perfluorononanoic acid	PFNA
Perfluorooctanoic acid	PFOA
Perfluoroheptanoic acid	PFHpA
Perfluorohexanoic acid	PFHxA
Perfluoropentanoic acid	PFPeA
Perfluorobutanoic acid	PFBA
Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid	PFDS
Perfluorononanesulfonic acid	PFNS
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid	PFOS
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid	PFHpS
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid	PFHxS
Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid	PFPeS
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid	PFBS
Perfluorooctanesulfonamide	PFOSA
Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid 8:2	FtS 8:2
Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid 6:2	FtS 6:2
Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid 4:2	FtS 4:2
2-(N-Ethylperfluorooctanesulfonamido)acetic acid	NEtFOSAA
2-(N-Methylperfluorooctanesulfonamido)acetic acid	NMeFOSAA

Next Steps

Please call [phone number] to discuss any questions you may have. Your test results will be kept private and confidential. Your results may be combined with other participants in your community and used in a summary report; however, no one will be able to identify you.

If participant’s tap water sample is higher than the EPA lifetime health advisory, include text below:

Your tap water sample contained PFAS at a level higher than the EPA lifetime health advisory. ATSDR recommends that you consider using an alternative or treated water source for any activity in which you might swallow water:

• Drinking,

• Food preparation,

• Cooking,

• Brushing teeth, and

• Preparing infant formula.

More Information

• If you or your doctor have any medically related questions about these results or wish to further discuss these results, please contact [name] by phone [number] or email [email].

• For additional information about PFAS from [DOH], please visit [web address].

• For additional information about PFAS from the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, please visit: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html.

• For additional information about PFAS from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/research-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas.

Thank you again for being part of the PFAS assessment.