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Zürich Statement on Future Actions on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)
Citation:
Ritscher, A., Z. Wang, M. Scheringer, J. Boucher, L. Ahrens, U. Berger, S. Bintein, S. Bopp, D. Borg, A. Buser, I. Cousins, J. DeWitt, T. Fletcher, C. Green, D. Herzke, C. Higgins, J. Huang, H. Hung, T. Knepper, C. Lau, E. Leinala, A. Lindstrom, J. Liu, M. Miller, K. Ohno, N. Perkola, Y. Shi, L. Småstuen Haug, X. Trier, S. Valsecchi, K. van der Jagt, AND L. Vierke. Zürich Statement on Future Actions on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, 126(8):084502-1 - 084502-5, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4158
Impact/Purpose:
Given the vast number and diversity of unregulated PFASs on the market and/or in the environment, the participants unanimously agreed that further research and management of PFASs requires a coordinated approach in order to avoid duplication of efforts and to ensure efficient use of resources. The coordination could start from using the same terminology (including clear identifiers for substances within the PFAS family) for communication between both sides. Furthermore, currently available knowledge on PFASs needs to be structured and made more easily accessible to the scientific and regulatory communities. In addition, many participants voiced a need for a mechanism to identify priorities for further coordinated efforts related to PFASs, particularly regarding which PFASs should primarily be in the focus of scientific and regulatory efforts and which scientific data should be generated.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a family of anthropogenic chemicals that contain at least one perfluoroalkyl moiety, —CnF2n— (Buck et al. 2011). Due to the thermal and chemical stability as well as the hydro- and oleophobicity of the perfluoroalkyl moiety, many PFASs have been or may be used as highly effective and efficient surfactants or surface protectors in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications such as automotive, food-contact materials, textiles, fire fighting foams, pesticides, cosmetics, construction products, electronic products, and metal plating (Banks et al. 1994; Buck et al. 2011; Kissa 2001). The large-scale production of many PFASs started between the 1940s and 1970s, and increased thereafter with the global annual production of some PFASs reaching hundreds of tonnes or greater (Wang et al. 2014a, 2014b, 2017b). In contrast, studies on the exposure and effects of PFASs in the public domain were scarce until 2001 when Giesey and Kannan (Giesy and Kannan 2001) reported global presence of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in wildlife. This revelation led to an exponential increase in public research on PFASs, which has resulted in a wide recognition of so-called “long-chain” PFASs (i.e. perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (PFCAS) with ≥7 perfluorinated carbons, perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids (PFSAs) with ≥6 perfluorinated carbons, and their precursors) as contaminants of emerging global concern. Consequently, due to their persistence (P), bioaccumulation potential (B), toxicity (T) and long-range transport potential, PFOS and perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride (POSF) have been listed, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and their precursors are being evaluated for listing, under the United Nations Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants for a global elimination or restriction (BRS Secretariat 2017, 2018).
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Zürich Statement on Future Actions on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)