Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany - State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 1;780:146399. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146399. Epub 2021 Mar 17.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large group of persistent anthropogenic chemicals which are difficult to degrade and/or destroy. PFAS are an emerging class of contaminants, but little is known about the long-term health effects related to exposure. In addition, technologies to identify levels of contamination in the environment and to remediate contaminated sites are currently inadequate. In this opinion-type discussion paper, a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut and the University at Albany discuss the scientific challenges in their specific but intertwined PFAS research areas, including rapid and low-cost detection, energy-saving remediation, the role of T helper cells in immunotoxicity, and the biochemical and molecular effects of PFAS among community residents with measurable PFAS concentrations. Potential research directions that may be employed to address those challenges and improve the understanding of sensing, remediation, exposure to, and health effects of PFAS are then presented. We hope our account of emerging problems related to PFAS contamination will encourage a broad range of scientific experts to bring these research initiatives addressing PFAS into play on a national scale.
全氟和多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 构成了一大类难以降解和/或破坏的持久性人为化学物质。PFAS 是一类新兴的污染物，但人们对与之相关的长期健康影响知之甚少。此外，用于识别环境中污染水平和修复污染场地的技术目前还不够完善。在这份意见型讨论文件中，康涅狄格大学和奥尔巴尼大学的一组研究人员讨论了他们在特定但相互交织的 PFAS 研究领域中面临的科学挑战，包括快速、低成本的检测、节能修复、辅助性 T 细胞在免疫毒性中的作用以及具有可测量 PFAS 浓度的社区居民中 PFAS 的生化和分子效应。然后提出了可能用于应对这些挑战并提高对 PFAS 传感、修复、暴露和健康影响的理解的潜在研究方向。我们希望我们对与 PFAS 污染相关的新出现问题的描述将鼓励广泛的科学专家将这些解决 PFAS 问题的研究计划在全国范围内付诸实施。
