PFAS Basics, Part 1
PFAS are a family of synthetic fluorinated compounds which have been utilized in the United States for decades. PFAS are used in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications such as textiles, aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), metal plating, semi-conductors, paper and food packaging, coating additives, cleaning products, and personal care products. According to the U.S. EPA, certain PFAS pose a risk to the environment and human health due to the bioaccumulative and persistent nature of the compounds.
Production of the “legacy” long carbon chain molecules was largely phased out beginning in the early 2000s. The manufacturing of the next generation of fluorinated chemicals has brought new PFAS chemicals to the forefront of our discussions, but little is known about their uses and potential impact to human health.
The chemistry of PFAS is unique and challenging. There is currently little consensus on the toxicology, whether to address PFAS as a class or as individual chemicals, how best to capture and represent PFAS data in the environment or in products, or what to do about all of this.
This presentation will provide an important foundation for understanding the history of PFAS, uses and sources, simplify the complexity around the chemistry and nomenclature of PFAS, provide an introduction to sampling and analytical considerations, and provide an awareness of how PFAS are being addressed across the country today.
Topics the Presentation Will Cover Include:
- A review of the chemistry and nomenclature
- Sources of PFAS in the environment
- Exposure pathways and risk
- A glimpse of the varied guidance and regulation that is available nationwide
- An introduction to various sampling and analytical considerations
Original Airdate: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Length: 60 minutes
Presenter: Taryn McKnight - Eurofins Environment Testing
