PFAS, Flame Retardants, and Organic Pollutants in Water, Air, and Human Exposure
This community investigates the detection, environmental fate, and human health risks associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate esters, primarily to assess exposure pathways in drinking water, indoor air, and food.
The research focuses heavily on quantifying concentrations of PFAS and flame retardants in surface waters, groundwaters, and indoor environments. A significant portion of the work involves developing and validating mass spectrometry methods for identifying these persistent organic pollutants. Studies frequently examine the occurrence of these substances in drinking water supplies and evaluate their potential for bioaccumulation in marine fish and other food sources. The community also addresses the technical challenges of removing these contaminants from wastewater and drinking water treatment systems, while simultaneously assessing the carcinogenic and developmental health risks posed by chronic human exposure to these chemical classes.
The largest share of the community's output is found in fluorine research, accounting for 6.5% of all tracked fluorine studies, with 6,359 papers in this group. Bromine research also features prominently, representing 1.7% of that element's tracked literature with 1,028 papers.
The community comprises 24,734 papers, published most frequently in Environmental Science & Technology, Chemosphere, and The Science of The Total Environment.
Recent work continues to prioritize the analysis of PFAS in wastewater treatment plants and the development of new adsorption and degradation technologies, including metal-organic frameworks and carbonaceous materials, while also examining the specific health risks associated with short-chain PFAS and their accumulation in marine food webs.