The emergence of persistent organic pollutants in the environment: the occurrence and treatment of perfluorinated compounds

Abstract

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) used to produce everyday goods, including clothing, carpets, textiles, upholstery, paper, packaging and cleaning products. PFOS and PFOA belong to the class ofchemical contaminants known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They are particularly difficult to deal with once released into the environment because they do not break down easily, they can travel long distances in the air or water supply and they can accumulate in human and animal tissue. Scientists have linked these chemicals, which can be toxic for both humans and wildlife, with serious environmental and health risks. Researchers have reported PFC contamination in river, tap and bottled water in Japan, the US, Europe and in developing countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Conventional treatment technologies do not remove PFCs effectively from our water supplies, compounding the problem. Some advanced methods have been found to be effective in treating PFOS and PFOA in the water environment. However, these technologies have yet to be applied on a large scale due to regulative and economical constraints on their development.