PFAS – News and Features

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that threaten human health and cause environmental deterioration. This article highlights the potential of trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) for improved POPs analysis.

Depending on the brand, your favorite cup of tea could be contaminated with billions of microplastics and/or traces of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

A new laboratory method can detect the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), more commonly known as "forever chemicals," in a matter of minutes.

After comparing the eating habits of young US adults with their blood levels of PFAS, the researchers found that the participants who ate more takeouts and processed meats were more likely to have higher levels of the forever chemicals.

Fourteen different types of PFAS have been found in soils at family skiing spots in the Austrian Alps, at levels far higher than in areas not normally used for skiing.

A new luminescent sensor can detect "forever chemicals" in water in a faster, more cost-effective way than existing detectors.

PFAS circulating in the polar waters in an uneven feedback loop, whereby the Arctic Ocean exports almost as many chemicals to the North Atlantic Ocean as it receives back.

For the first time, researchers have been able to count and identify nanoplastics – plastic particles measuring less than one micrometer in size – in samples taken from bottled water.

PFAS compounds have been shown to induce migration of cancer cells, a feature of metastasis. Cancer cells exposed to PFAS also showed metabolic changes consistent with metastasis.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) do not readily break down in nature and so can become persistent pollutants. This article will explore the challenges of detecting PFAS compounds and how recent advancements in testing techniques are addressing these issues.