An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of concern because of their high persistence (or that of their degradation products) and their impacts on human and environmental health that are known or can be deduced from some well-studied PFAS. Currently, many different PFAS (on the order of several thousands) are used in a wide range of applications, and there is no comprehensive source of information on the many individual substances and their functions in different applications. Here we provide a broad overview of many use categories where PFAS have been employed and for which function; we also specify which PFAS have been used and discuss the magnitude of the uses. Despite being non-exhaustive, our study…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 1845336
• UE
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Award: 83948101
• TF
  Tides Foundation
• NF
  Norges Forskningsråd

  Award: 117031