Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances: current and future perspectives

Abstract

Environmental contextPerfluoroalkyl substances were recognised as global environmental pollutants 10 years ago. Although considerable advancements have been made in our understanding of the environmental distribution, fate and toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances, several important issues remain to be resolved. This article identifies existing knowledge gaps that deserve further investigations to enable meaningful regulatory decisions. AbstractIt has been over a decade since perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were discovered as global environmental contaminants. Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the environmental fate and toxic effects of PFASs since then. Government regulations and voluntary emission reduction initiatives by industry have been effective in reducing environmental and human exposure to a major PFAS, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in the United States and several other western countries. Although significant advances have been made in our understanding of the environmental chemistry of PFASs, considerable knowledge gaps still exist in several areas of environmental fate and risk assessments. Owing to their complex chemistry, involving existence of multiple precursors with significant numbers of structural isomers and mixtures of homologues, multiple degradation pathways and unique physicochemical properties, challenges remain in elucidating sources and environmental fate. In this overview, some of the knowledge gaps in PFASs’ research have been identified and suggestions for future research have been made.