Latest Science

Two for the Price of One: Deriving Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Fillet and Whole-Body Conversion Equations in Fish

18 Mar 2024 | ES&T Letters

This study developed conversion equations between filet and whole-body concentrations of PFAS in fish from New York State, crucial for both human health advisories and ecological risk assessments, with conversion factors consistent across multiple PFAS chemicals but less consistent across species.

Temporal variability and sources of PFAS in the Rio Grande, New Mexico through an arid urban area using multiple tracers and high-frequency sampling

18 Mar 2024 | Emerg. Contam.

Significant temporal and spatial variability of PFAS were found in the Rio Grande, with notable increases in PFAS from urban runoff and wastewater effluent, and researchers demonstrated the use of longer-term passive samplers to compare PFAS concentrations in water bodies against one-time measurements.

Prenatal Exposure to Poly/Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Risk for Congenital Heart Disease in Offspring

18 Mar 2024 | J. Hazard. Mater.

PFAS exposure during pregnancy was found to potentially increase the risk of congenital heart disease, the most common type of birth defect worldwide.

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics and perfluorooctane sulfonate disrupt the homeostasis of intact planarians and the growth of regenerating planarians

12 Mar 2024 | Sci Total Environ

Both microplastics and PFOS can cause DNA damage and disrupt the nervous system in freshwater planarians, and their combined exposure can exacerbate these effects, shedding light on potential environmental and health risks associated with microplastics and PFAS.

Environmental impact of PFAS: Filling data gaps using theoretical quantum chemistry and QSPR modeling

9 Mar 2024 | Environ. Int.

Utilizing physics-based methods and data-driven models, researchers predicted environmental parameters to address gaps in understanding such as the bioaccumulation potential, contributing to a better understanding of PFAS behavior in the environment.

PFAS alters placental arterial vasculature in term human placentae: A prospective pregnancy cohort study

9 Mar 2024 | Placenta

Maternal prenatal exposure to PFAS was found to affect placental vascularization with higher PFAS concentrations associated with reduced surface vasculature, potentially contributing to adverse birth outcomes.

A Comprehensive Review of Novel Adsorbents for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water

8 Mar 2024 | ACS ES&T Water

This review examines recent studies on new adsorbent materials for PFAS, covering fundamental mechanisms of PFAS adsorption, evaluating materials such as carbon nanotubes and polymers, and providing insights into strategies for designing effective PFAS removal solutions.

Biosolids, an important route for transporting poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances from wastewater treatment plants into the environment: A systematic review

6 Mar 2024 | Sci. Total Environ.

This review examined the presence and behavior of PFAS in wastewater treatment plants, revealing variations in PFAS concentrations across plants, the role of biological mechanisms in PFAS transformation, and the influence of factors like carbon chain length and wastewater composition on PFAS adsorption in sludge, emphasizing the need for improved management strategies to address PFAS contamination in environmental systems.

Effect modification by maternal vitamin D status in the association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children

5 Mar 2024 | Environ Int

In a Chinese birth cohort, researchers investigated how prenatal exposure to PFAS affects childhood neurodevelopment, finding that while PFAS exposure was linked to lower language scores and increased risk of delay overall, the impact varied based on maternal vitamin D levels.

Prenatal exposure to mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and organochlorines affects cognition in adolescence independent of postnatal exposure

5 Mar 2024 | Int J Hyg Environ Health

This study investigated the cognitive effects of prenatal exposure to PFAS and organochlorines, finding that higher prenatal exposure to these chemicals, particularly PFHxS and PFNA, is associated with improved sustained and selective attention during adolescence, regardless of exposure levels at adolescence. However, the authors suggest the results should be interpreted with caution due to limited understanding of biological pathways and prior studies showing neurotoxic effects from PFAS.

Association between prenatal exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and infant anthropometry: A prospective cohort study

4 Mar 2024 | Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health

Prenatal exposure to PFAS was linked to altered infant growth patterns, with PFNA and PFDoA associated with increased size in females, and PFOA correlated with decreased weight, head, and arm circumference in males, suggesting potential impacts on offspring growth trajectories.

Prediction of the Interactions of a Large Number of Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances with Ten Nuclear Receptors

29 Feb 2024 | Environ Sci Technol

Modeling and machine-learning was used to study interactions between thousands of PFAS and nuclear receptors – these interactions can be indicative of endocrine and metabolic disruption – and the authors urge biological validation of their computational findings on a diverse set of PFAS.

Unveiling per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in Chinese paper products and assessing their exposure risk

28 Feb 2024 | Environ Int

Chinese paper food contact materials were found to be contaminated with PFAS, with estimated intake from one-third of tested paper bowls/plates exceeding recommended health levels; moreover, the study suggests that microwave heating can release PFAS from popcorn bags and convert long-chain PFAS into short-chain forms.

Dynamic spatiotemporal changes of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and eggs from private gardens at different distances from a fluorochemical plant

27 Feb 2024 | Environ Pollut

The study conducted near a fluorochemical plant in Antwerp, Belgium, revealed higher concentrations of short-chain PFAS and their precursors in vegetable garden soil, elevated levels of long-chain PFAS in chicken enclosure soil and homegrown eggs, and temporal variations such as a 9x decrease in PFOS concentrations in soil and a 13x drop in concentrations in eggs, emphasizing the presence of localized high-concentration plumes near the plant and the necessity for ongoing monitoring and regulatory intervention.

Integrated Analysis of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Metabolic Profiling of Elderly Residents Living near Industrial Plants

26 Feb 2024 | Environ. Sci. Technol.

Significant associations between PFAS exposure levels and metabolic profiles were identified among those residing near industrial plants, particularly within lipid metabolism pathways, shedding light on potential adverse health effects and emphasizing the importance of understanding and mitigating these risks.

Newer Older