The group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprises a wide spectrum of thousands of chemicals [1] which are used in a variety of industrial applications and consumer products. The outstanding properties of PFAS enable their application e.g. in fluoropolymer production, in fire-fighting foams, in personal care products or on textiles and food-contact paper, which obtain water, dirt and oil repelling properties due to the treatment with this group of substances [2].
Due to increasing scientific and public awareness, several studies on the presence of PFAS in environmental and human samples have been conducted in the past decades. The detection of PFAS in the biotic and abiotic environment, in drinking water, food, and consumer products, demonstrates the worldwide distribution of PFAS. Additionally, the human exposure towards PFAS in general populations worldwide, emphasizes that PFAS contamination and exposure is ubiquitous and not limited to occupational reasons or regions with known contamination incidents. As these substances are known to be transferred from contaminated soil into plants, PFAS can be further transferred into wild animals, livestock and their respective animal products. The consumption of contaminated plants or animal products therefore represents a pathway for human exposure and needs to be understood for a comprehensive risk assessment of PFAS.
Despite (or due to) the enormous number of PFAS, research and risk assessment in the past decades was mainly limited to legacy PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), adverse health effects such as endocrine, immune, reproductive, and developmental effects have been described for these compounds. Based on toxicological studies for PFOA and PFOS, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) substantially lowered the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) values for four substances in 2020 [3].
Nevertheless, all the other PFAS are rarely characterized. The presentation will address the current analytical situation.
Literature:
[1] U.S. EPA, PFAS Master List of PFAS Substances. In Washington, D.C., 2019
[2] Buck, R. C. et al., Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: terminology, classification, and origins. Integrated environmental assessment and management 2011, 7, 513-41
[3] EFSA., 2020, PFAS in food: EFSA assesses risks and sets tolerable intake, European Food Safety Authority, Parma, Italy. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/pfas-food-efsa-assesses-risks-and-setstolerable- intake
