Latest Science
Impact of local food consumption on exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in a contaminated community in North-Eastern Italy
30 Nov 2024 | Epidemiol Prev
Consuming locally-grown foods in PFAS-contaminated areas can significantly increase exposure to PFOA and PFOS, leading to prolonged elevated blood levels, with affected individuals taking about three more years to reduce their concentrations to levels below a clinically significant threshold level.
Fate of ‘forever chemicals’ in the global cryosphere
18 Nov 2024 | Earth-Science Reviews
This review highlights the spread, accumulation, and release of PFAS in the cryosphere, including impacts from global warming, which poses significant ecological risks and harms biodiversity.
Environmental Occurrence and Biotic Concentrations of Ultrashort-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids: Overlooked Global Organofluorine Contaminants
13 Nov 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
Ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), including TFA, are widely present in the environment and living organisms, with rising concentrations over the past three decades, often exceeding those of longer-chain PFAAs in various ecosystems.
Permeation of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)-Laden Leachate in Landfills as an Outcome of Puncture Failures of High-Density Polyethylene Geomembranes
12 Nov 2024 | Environmental Pollution
Puncture failures in high-density polyethylene landfill liners increase the permeation of hazardous PFAS-laden leachate. Short-chain PFAS, due to their surfactant properties, significantly enhanced permeation rates, highlighting concerns over environmental contamination if proper landfill protections are not maintained.
Forever chemicals don't make hero mutant ninja turtles: Elevated PFAS levels linked to unusual scute development in newly emerged freshwater turtle hatchlings (Emydura macquarii macquarii) and a reduction in turtle populations
11 Nov 2024 | Sci Total Environ
Elevated PFAS exposure in freshwater turtles was linked to metabolic disruptions, deformities in hatchlings, altered egg biochemistry, and a decline in juvenile turtle populations, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory measures to address the environmental impact of these "forever chemicals."
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina homes: results from the indoor PFAS assessment (IPA) campaign
11 Nov 2024 | Environ Sci Process Impacts
Inhalation was the primary non-dietary indoor PFAS exposure for adults, while children are more exposed via ingestion of dust and hand-to-mouth behavior, with neutral PFAS being the dominant contributor.
A combinational threat of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) as potential emerging vectors for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to human health
8 Nov 2024 | Environ Monit Assess
Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) can carry harmful chemicals like PFAS. This review summarizes information regarding the environmental transport and interaction of MNPs and PFAS and the potential combined impacts on serious health problems such as liver damage, reproductive issues, and immune system disruptions in both humans and animals.
Exposure to and Transplacental Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in a Twin Pregnancy Cohort in Korea
6 Nov 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
In twin pregnancies, higher levels of certain PFAS chemicals, like L-PFOS and PFOA, were found in the mothers' blood compared to their babies' cord blood. Differences in blood flow through the placenta were linked to varying PFAS levels between the twins, suggesting that the way these chemicals transfer from mother to baby can be affected by placental structure, potentially impacting health.
A Prospective Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Early Pregnancy to Delivery in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort.
6 Nov 2024 | Environ Health Perspect
Some PFAS concentrations, such as PFHxS and PFOS, increased throughout pregnancy and varied significantly based on maternal and socioeconomic factors, with shorter-chain PFAS transferring more efficiently to newborns, demonstrating a need for tailored public health interventions to protect newborns.
Relationship between per-fluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and insulin resistance in nondiabetic adults: Evidence from NHANES 2003-2018
5 Nov 2024 | Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
Higher exposure to PFAS chemicals, such as PFOS, PFOA, and MeFOSAA, is strongly associated with increased insulin resistance in adults, especially when measured by the TyG index, with the association stronger in younger individuals and those with higher BMI, emphasizing the health risks of PFAS exposure.
Leachability of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances from contaminated concrete
5 Nov 2024 | Environ Sci Process Impacts
PFAS chemicals, like PFOS and PFHxA, can leach significantly from concrete contaminated from use of aqueous film-forming foams at airports, defense, and port facilities, with leaching behavior influenced by factors like particle size, pH, and individual PFAS properties.
Neurotoxic Effects of Mixtures of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at Environmental and Human Blood Concentrations
4 Nov 2024 | Environ. Sci. Technol.
PFAS exposure has been linked to harmful health effects, including neurodevelopmental issues, with this research showing that mixtures of these substances can impair neuron growth at concentrations typically observed in the environment, highlighting the importance of assessing their combined risk.
City-scale Impacts of PFAS from Normal and Elevated Temperature Landfill Leachates on Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent
4 Nov 2024 | J. Hazard. Mater.
Elevated temperatures in landfills can significantly increase PFAS concentrations and precursors in leachate compared to normal conditions, indicating diverse and complex PFAS sources impacting wastewater treatment plants and underscoring the need for further research on their environmental impact.
The Global Threat from the Irreversible Accumulation of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA)
30 Oct 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a highly persistent and widespread pollutant found in various environmental media; its increasing concentrations—driven by both direct emissions and transformation from other PFAS—pose potential irreversible risks to ecosystems and human health, highlighting the need for urgent global action to reduce emissions.
Non-target screening reveals 124 PFAS at an AFFF-impacted field site in Germany specified by novel systematic terminology
28 Oct 2024 | Anal Bioanal Chem
A 2008 fire incident in Reilingen, Germany led to significant contamination from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), prompting a study that used advanced analysis techniques to identify 124 PFAS in the soil, highlighting the complex environmental impact of AFFFs and the need for consistent terminology and thorough contaminant characterization for effective mitigation.