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Perfluorinated Compounds: An Overview
Citation:
Lau, C. Perfluorinated Compounds: An Overview. Chapter 1, Jamie C. DeWitt (ed.), Toxicological Effects of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Ssubstances. Springer Basel AG, Basel, Switzerland, 1:1-21, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
The topic of "Perfluorinated Chemicals" (PFCs) has appeared with increasing frequency in popular news articles as well as research publications, particularly in the fields of environmental sciences and toxicology. Indeed, before the turn of the century,there were fewer than 300 research papers devoted to this subject;since then,well over 3,000 papers have been published on these chemicals,describing their worldwide detection in various environmental media, human populations and wildlife animals, their toxicological characteristics and mechanisms of toxicity,as well as their human and ecological health risks.
Description:
This volume summarizes our current understanding of the adverse health effects of this interesting group of chemicals. Many aspects of PFCs are described in detail, ranging from chemical detection to exposure assessment, from pharmacokinetics to toxicity characterization and associated modes of action,from epidemiological surveys to health risk assessment,and from description of emerging replacement compounds to discussion of research needs in the future. The goal of this introductory chapter is to provide a brief overview of these aspects, highlighting the salient features of historical discoveries about these chemicals and contemporary progress that has enhanced our knowledge base. It is strongly recommended that readers consult individual chapters for in-depth discussions of specific topics of interest covered in this volume.