PFAS Detection, Removal, and Health Risk Assessment
This community focuses on the analysis, removal, and health impact assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," in water systems and the environment.
The research centers on identifying PFAS in drinking water and wastewater, evaluating removal technologies such as activated carbon adsorption and degradation methods, and assessing human exposure risks. Key recurring topics include the specific compounds perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the use of mass spectrometry for detection, and the application of machine learning for toxicity prediction. The work also addresses the occurrence of these persistent organic pollutants in surface waters and groundwaters, as well as their fate in treatment plants and the environment.
The largest share of the community's output is found in fluorine research, accounting for 4.9% of all fluorine research, with 9,232 papers in this group. This is also the element with the highest paper count within this community.
The community comprises 15,973 papers, primarily published in Environmental Science & Technology, The Science of The Total Environment, and Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Recent work continues to focus on the environmental fate and health risks of short-chain PFAS, the development of new adsorbents like metal–organic frameworks for removal, and the analysis of PFAS in wastewater treatment plants.