Exposure, health effects, sensing, and remediation of the emerging PFAS contaminants - Scientific challenges and potential research directions

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany - State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
² Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
³ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. Electronic address: yu.lei@uconn.edu.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
⁶ Department of Chemistry and Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Department of Surgery and Neag Cancer Center, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06032, USA; School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland at Galway, Ireland.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany - State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA.
⁸ Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
⁹ Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.

PMID: 33770593
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146399

Exposure, health effects, sensing, and remediation of the emerging PFAS contaminants - Scientific challenges and potential research directions

Erin M Bell et al. Sci Total Environ. 2021.

. 2021 Aug 1:780:146399.

doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146399. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany - State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
² Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
³ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. Electronic address: yu.lei@uconn.edu.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
⁶ Department of Chemistry and Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Department of Surgery and Neag Cancer Center, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06032, USA; School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland at Galway, Ireland.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany - State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA.
⁸ Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
⁹ Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.

PMID: 33770593
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146399

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large group of persistent anthropogenic chemicals which are difficult to degrade and/or destroy. PFAS are an emerging class of contaminants, but little is known about the long-term health effects related to exposure. In addition, technologies to identify levels of contamination in the environment and to remediate contaminated sites are currently inadequate. In this opinion-type discussion paper, a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut and the University at Albany discuss the scientific challenges in their specific but intertwined PFAS research areas, including rapid and low-cost detection, energy-saving remediation, the role of T helper cells in immunotoxicity, and the biochemical and molecular effects of PFAS among community residents with measurable PFAS concentrations. Potential research directions that may be employed to address those challenges and improve the understanding of sensing, remediation, exposure to, and health effects of PFAS are then presented. We hope our account of emerging problems related to PFAS contamination will encourage a broad range of scientific experts to bring these research initiatives addressing PFAS into play on a national scale.

Keywords: Challenges and research directions; Exposure assessment; PFAS; Remediation; Sensing; Toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Exposure, health effects, sensing, and remediation of the emerging PFAS contaminants - Scientific challenges and potential research directions

Affiliations

Exposure, health effects, sensing, and remediation of the emerging PFAS contaminants - Scientific challenges and potential research directions

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

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