Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): History, Current Concerns, and Future Outlook.
1Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread chemicals with legacy compounds like PFOA and emerging types. This review covers their history, properties, human health effects, and new detection methods for total PFAS.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are globally utilized chemicals with historical (legacy) and emerging types.
- Legacy PFAS (e.g., PFOA, PFOS) manufactured before 2000 are phased out but persist, leading to drinking water regulations.
- Emerging PFAS, including Gen-X and F-53B, exhibit diverse chemical structures and growing environmental research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
- To summarize the historical context, chemical properties, and human health impacts of legacy PFAS.
- To discuss emerging PFAS, their characteristics, and advancements in their detection and quantification.
Main Methods:
- Literature review summarizing historical data and current research on PFAS.
- Description of chemical properties and structures of both legacy and emerging PFAS.
- Overview of analytical techniques, including GC-MS for volatile PFAS and LC-MS for total oxidizable precursors.
Main Results:
- Legacy PFAS are associated with human health issues like dyslipidemia, immune dysfunction, and kidney disorders.
- Emerging PFAS present a wide array of chemical structures and are subjects of ongoing environmental research.
- New assays, such as total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay, are being developed for comprehensive PFAS quantification.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the evolution from legacy to emerging PFAS is crucial for environmental and health risk assessment.
- Continued research and development of analytical methods are essential for monitoring and managing the total PFAS burden.
- Regulatory efforts and scientific inquiry must address both historical and novel PFAS compounds.
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