Prevalence of PFAS 'forever chemical' in the environment likely significantly underestimated: study

By Fleur Connick | ABC News | December 2, 2024

Read the full article by Fleur Connick (ABC News)

"The unexpected discovery of a soon-to-be banned "forever chemical" in firefighting foams previously used in Australia has prompted concerns the chemical may be significantly more widespread in the environment than once thought.

Researchers from UNSW Sydney were analysing aqueous firefighting foams to characterise different types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, when they made the discovery.

They found a form of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — known as "branched PFOA" — was more prevalent than expected, and when firefighting foam was released into the environment, its branched PFOA concentrations doubled over time."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ChemicalsPFOA
• ChemicalsPolymer
• ProductsFirefighting foam
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses