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The high persistence of PFAS is sufficient for their management as a chemical class
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While per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic organic substances with diverse structures, properties, uses, bioaccumulation potentials and toxicities, nearly all PFAS are highly persistent.
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“However, most PFAS are either environmentally and microbiologically non-degradable or ultimately transformed into terminal products that are still PFAS [23,127].”
From Investigating the extent of PFAS contamination in the Upper Danube Basin across environmental compartments (2025) · cites this paper as [23]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cousins, I. T., DeWitt, J. C., Glüge, J., Goldenman, G., Herzke, D., Lohmann, R., Ng, C. A., Scheringer, M., & Wang, Z.
- Affiliations
- Stockholm University (SE)
- East Carolina University (US)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Milieu Consulting SPRL
- The FRAM Centre (NO)
- University of Rhode Island (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cousins, Ian T.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Published
- 2020
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2307-2312
- ISSN
- 2050-7887 (ISSN-L)
- 2050-7895
- PMC
- PMC7784706
- OpenAlex
- W3096674677
- Cited by
- 491
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 126 · 2025: 104 · 2024: 109 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 28
- FWCI
- 14.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Science Processes & Impacts (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Journal of Media Literacy Education (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- ETH Zürich Research Collection
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1845336)
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1P43ES031009-01, P42ES027706)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (83948101)
- Norges Forskningsråd (117031)
- Bundesamt für Umwelt
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Synthesis and properties of polymers
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, chemical classification, phase-out, environmental degradation, PFAS contamination, contaminated site remediation, drinking water contamination, bioaccumulation, toxicity
- MeSH terms
- Fluorocarbons, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Drinking Water
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