Document NewRL2bwNQpByy5kw2zkxMK9w

3M GeneralOMces 31MCenter St.PauiM,N 55144-1000 6127331110 April28,2000 Mr.OscarHernandez US EPA/OPPT/CCD (7405) 401 M StreetS,W Room E615B Washington,DC 20460 Dear Oscar: As partoftheongoingvoluntarysubmissionof dataand informationon perfluorooctanseulfonicacid(PFOS) toEPA by 3M, enclosedisinformationon use and exposurerelatintgo,PFOS (Attachment1).Thisinformationispresented followingtheforrnaotfa "Use and ExposureInformatioPnrofile"(UEIP)as recommended to ')M by EPA OPPT management. One UEIP form was preparedto coverthechemicalperfluorooctanseulfoniaccid(CAS 41763-23-1)and fourofitssalt forms (CAS #29081-56-9.29457-72-5,70225-14-8,2795-39-3)thataremanufactured from theperfluorooctanseulfonicacid. Itisimportantto emphasize thefollowingpoints: - The majorityof -)'M's fluorochemicaplroductionand productcommercialization involveshighermolecularweightfunctionalizedderivativemsade from perfluorooctanseulfonylfluorideA. relativelsymallamount ofperfluorooctane sulfonicacidand itssaltsareactuallcyommercializedas finishedproducts(<200,000 lbs,"year). - The secondaryreactionpsroducingallof thesederivativeasresingleor sequential batchprocessesthatdo not necessarilpyroducepureproducts.There may be varying amounts of fluorochemicalresidual(sunreactedorpartiallryeactedstartinmga,terials or intermediatest)hatarecarriedforwardtothefinalproduct.Typicallyw,here presentt,heseresidualcsan be found ata concentratioonf 1-2% or lessinfinal productsand,in theagoregater,epresentroughly1-2% of totalfluorochemical productionvolume. 3M has implementedan aggressiveprogram toreduceor eliminatesuch manufacturingresidualisn theproductionof commercializedproducts. Some of thesefluorochemicalresidualisn3M productshave thepotentiatlodegrade or metabolizetoPFOS. In additiond,urings,ome productuse or disposalt,henonfluorochemicamtoietiesadded tothesulfonylfluoridgeroup of POSF can alsobe removed througha varietyof degradationprocesses(chemical,environmentaland metabolic).In such instancest,hefluorochemicaslpeciesultimatelpyroduced as a resultof such degradationwilloenerallbye PFOS. Therefore,thereareotherpotential Page Mr. Oscar Hernandez US EPA/OPPT/CCD (7405) sourcesof PFOS exposure or releasethanthe actualproductionof perfluorooctane sulfonicacidor itssalts. 3M does have datademonstratingthe stabilitoyfhigh molecularweight fluorochemicalpolymers and fluorochemicalphosphate estersto variousmechanisms of degradation.Therefore,itisbelievedthatdegradationof thesematerialsas commercialized productsisnot theprinciplesourceofPFOS tohuman or environmentalexposure. 3M has providedtoEPA as a supplementalsubmission (TSCA Section8(e)- PerfluorooctanSeulfonate- Docket Numbers 8EHQ-1 180-373; 8EHQ- 1180-')74) the whitepaperentitle"d SulfonatedPerfluorochemicalsin the Envirorunent:Sources,DispersionF,ate and Effects".The informationinthatpaper containsworse case estimatesofpotentialexposureand waste generation.That analysisassumed allfluorochemicalproductscould completelydegrade toPFOS and representedthatquantitativelays"PFOS equivalents".Our currentunderstandingis thattheseconservativeestimatesofPFOS equivalentsoverstateexposure potentialto PFOS. EPA receivedbiomonitoringdatafrom 3M on April24,2000 indicatintghatmost employees attheDecatur,AL manufacturingsitehave PFOS found intheirserum. The attachedUEIP document shows thatmost PFOS ismanufactured atCottage Grove, NIN with only smallnumbers of exposed employees. The exposure experiencedby employees attheDecatur,AL siteistofluorochemicalmaterialsthat are metabolizedor hydrolyzedtoPFOS. Pleasefeelfreetocontactme ifyou have any questionsregardingthisinformation. Best regards, William A. Weppner, Ph.D. Director EnvirorunentalH,ealth,Safety& RegulatoryAffairs SpecialtyMaterialMarkets Group 3M Center,Bldg.236-IB-10 St.Paul,MN 55144 Attachment(s) - VoluntaryUse and Exposure InformationProfile- PerfluorooctanSeulfonicAcid and ItsSaltForms