Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Environ Int. 2016 Sep;94:331-340. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.04.044. Epub 2016 Jun 20.
Already in the late 1990s microgram-per-liter levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were measured in water samples from areas where fire-fighting foams were used or spilled. Despite these early warnings, the problems of groundwater, and thus drinking water, contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) including PFOS are only beginning to be addressed. It is clear that this PFAS contamination is poorly reversible and that the societal costs of clean-up will be high. This inability to reverse exposure in a reasonable timeframe is a major motivation for application of the precautionary principle in chemicals management. We conclude that exposure can be poorly reversible; 1) due to slow elimination kinetics in organisms, or 2) due to poorly reversible environmental contamination that leads to continuous exposure. In the second case, which is relevant for contaminated groundwater, the reversibility of exposure is not related to the magnitude of a chemical's bioaccumulation potential. We argue therefore that all PFASs entering groundwater, irrespective of their perfluoroalkyl chain length and bioaccumulation potential, will result in poorly reversible exposures and risks as well as further clean-up costs for society. To protect groundwater resources for future generations, society should consider a precautionary approach to chemicals management and prevent the use and release of highly persistent and mobile chemicals such as PFASs.
早在 20 世纪 90 年代末，在使用或溢出消防泡沫的地区的水样中就已经检测到了每升微克级的全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）。尽管有这些早期的警告，但地下水，以及因此受到污染的饮用水，受到全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFASs）包括 PFOS 的污染问题才刚刚开始得到解决。显然，这种 PFAS 污染是很难逆转的，清理的社会成本将会很高。在合理的时间内无法逆转暴露，这是在化学品管理中应用预防原则的主要动机。我们的结论是，暴露可能难以逆转；1）由于生物体中的消除动力学缓慢，或 2）由于环境污染难以逆转，导致持续暴露。在后一种情况下，与受污染的地下水有关，暴露的可逆性与化学物质的生物蓄积潜力的大小无关。因此，我们认为，所有进入地下水的 PFAS 物质，无论其全氟烷基链长度和生物蓄积潜力如何，都会导致难以逆转的暴露和风险，以及社会进一步的清理成本。为了保护未来几代人的地下水资源，社会应该考虑采取预防措施来管理化学品，并防止使用和释放高度持久和移动的化学品，如 PFAS 物质。
