Science

Total and Class-Specific Determination of Fluorinated Compounds in Consumer and Food Packaging Samples Using Fluorine-19 Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

8 May 2024 | Anal Chem

Hamburger wrapping paper was tested for PFAS using total organic fluorine (TOF) and fluorine-19 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (19F ss-NMR) spectroscopy, revealing limitations in TOF's accuracy due to extraction variability and highlighting the abilities of 19F ss-NMR to directly detect PFAS in food packaging.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and fetal growth: A nation-wide register-based study on PFAS in drinking water

8 May 2024 | Environ Int

A nationwide study in Sweden found no clear link between maternal exposure to certain PFAS during pregnancy and newborn birthweight or risk of being small-for-gestational-age, but did find a slight increase in the risk of being large-for-gestational-age, particularly associated with PFOS.

Unregulated contaminants in drinking water: Evidence from PFAS and housing prices

6 May 2024 | JEEM

Public awareness of unregulated PFAS contamination in drinking water significantly decreases property values of affected homes, potentially exacerbating environmental inequality through residential sorting.

[Report] Ronneby PFAS Research Programme

6 May 2024

A decade of research on PFAS exposure through drinking water in a Swedish municipality confirms known risks like elevated cholesterol and kidney cancer while uncovering new ones such as osteoporosis fractures, diabetes, PCOS, and language disorders in children, highlighting the need for further investigation.

Distribution of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in a Waste-to-Energy Plant - Tracking PFASs in Internal Residual Streams

30 Apr 2024 | ES&T

PFAS were detected in all Waste-to-Energy plant residues except for boiler ash, with wet flue gas treatment reducing PFAS levels by 35% ± 10%, indicating that there is still a need for a safe disposal method of products containing PFAS.

Assessment and Comparison of Early Developmental Toxicity of Six Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances with Human Embryonic Stem Cell Models

30 Apr 2024 | Environ Sci Technol

Six PFAS compounds were found to disrupt cell fate determination, cilia formation, and gene expression in human embryonic stem cell models, signaling potential adverse health effects on early embryonic development.

Associations between serum perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl concentrations and diabetes mellitus in the Korean general population: Insights from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2018-2020

26 Apr 2024 | Int J Hyg Environ Health

PFAS exposure and prediabetes risk in the general Korean population was found to have a significant positive association between specific PFAS compounds, such as PFHxS and PFOS, and the risk of pre-diagnostic diabetes and prediabetes.

A Review of Sample Collection and Analytical Methods for Detecting Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Indoor and Outdoor Air

26 Apr 2024 | Chemosphere

This review of two decades of research on PFAS in outdoor and indoor air highlights the persistent presence of various PFAS, including those such as fluorotelomer alcohols and perfluorinated carboxylic acids and thousands more estimated, indicating ongoing environmental contamination despite regulatory measures, underscoring the need for improved air sampling techniques to comprehensively assess PFAS atmospheric distribution.

Sub-acute exposure of male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to environmentally relevant concentrations of PFOA and GenX induces significant changes in the testis transcriptome and reproductive traits

26 Apr 2024 | Environ Int

Exposure of male guppies to environmentally realistic levels of a legacy PFAS and its replacement compound (GenX) resulted in altered reproductive traits, including changes in sexual behavior and sperm motility, as well as gene expression related to immune regulation. These changes highlight the potential adverse effects of PFAS on behavior, fertility, and immunity in fish populations.

Characterization of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Other Constituents in MSW Landfill Leachate from Puerto Rico

25 Apr 2024 | Chemosphere

Puerto Rico was found to have significantly elevated levels of PFAS in landfill leachate, with 51 PFAS detected above quantitation limits, including previously unreported compounds, indicating a potential risk to island environments and emphasizing the need for informed solid waste management decisions to mitigate PFAS contamination, especially in light of extreme climate events and drinking water contamination.

Quantifying Disparities in Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Levels in Drinking Water from Overburdened Communities in New Jersey, 2019-2021

24 Apr 2024 | Environ Health Perspect

63% of New Jersey's community water systems (serving 84% of the population) tested from 2019 to 2021 had PFAS detections, with overburdened communities more likely to have detections and exposure surpassing state maximum contaminant levels, and a higher proportion of people of color living in affected areas compared to non-Hispanic white populations.

[Perspective] Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water-Disparities in Community Exposures Based on Race and Socioeconomic Status