A review of recent studies on toxicity, sequestration, and degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

The fate, effects, and treatment of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), an anthropogenic class of chemicals used in industrial and commercial production, are topics of great interest in recent research and news cycles. This interest stems from the ubiquity of PFAS in the global environment as well as their significant toxicological effects in humans and wildlife. Research on toxicity, sequestration, removal, and degradation of PFAS has grown rapidly, leading to a flood of valuable knowledge that can get swamped out in the perpetual rise in the number of publications. Selected papers from the Journal of Hazardous Materials between January 2018 and May 2022 on the toxicity, sequestration, and degradation of PFAS are reviewed in this article and made available as open-access publications for one year, in order to facilitate the distribution of critical knowledge surrounding PFAS. This review discusses routes of toxicity as observed in mammalian and cellular models, and the observed human health effects in exposed communities. Studies that evaluate of toxicity through in-silico approaches are highlighted in this paper. Removal of PFAS through modified carbon sorbents, nanoparticles, and anion exchange materials are discussed while comparing treatment efficiencies for different classes of PFAS. Finally, various biotic and abiotic degradation techniques, and the pathways and mechanisms involved are reviewed to provide a better understanding on the removal efficiencies and cost effectiveness of existing treatment strategies.

Automated summary

The fate, effects, and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of great interest due to their widespread presence in the environment and significant toxicological effects on humans and wildlife. This article reviews selected papers from the Journal of Hazardous Materials on the toxicity, sequestration, and degradation of PFAS, and makes them available as open-access publications to facilitate the distribution of critical knowledge on PFAS. The review discusses routes of toxicity, observed human health effects, in-silico approaches for toxicity evaluation, removal methods, and degradation techniques for PFAS.