Humans are frequently exposed to poly- and perfluoroalkyl
substances
(PFASs) via direct skin contact with personal care and consumer products
containing them. Here, we used a rat model to estimate the dermal
penetration efficiency of 15 representative PFASs. After 144 h post-dosing,
4.1–18.0 and 5.3–15.1% of the applied PFASs in the low
(L) and high (H) groups, respectively, were absorbed into the rats.
PFAS absorption and permeation were parabolically associated with
the perfluorinated carbon chain length (C
F), peaking for perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA). The lipid-rich stratum
corneum of the skin barrier substantially suppressed the penetration
of less hydrophobic short-chain PFASs, whereas the water-rich viable
epidermis and dermis served as obstacles to hydrophobic long-chain
PFAS permeation. However, the renal clearance (CLrenal)
of the target PFAS decreased with increasing C
F, suggesting that urinary excretion is crucial to eliminate
less hydrophobic short-chain PFASs. Notably, the peak times of PFASs
in the systemic circulation of rats (8–72 h) were remarkably
longer than those after oral administration (1–24 h). These
results suggest that dermal penetration can be long-lasting and contribute
considerably to the body burden of PFASs, especially for those with
moderate hydrophobicity due to their favorable skin permeation and
unfavorable urinary excretion.