Lendewig Mariana, Marquez Ronald, Franco Jorge, Vera Ramon E, Vivas Keren A, Forfora Naycari, Venditti Richard A, Gonzalez Ronalds
Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Box 8005, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8005, USA.
Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Box 8005, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8005, USA.
Chemosphere. 2025 May;377:144301. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144301. Epub 2025 Apr 9.
Public concern over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continues to grow as evidence highlights their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and adverse health effects. Increasing detections in drinking water, consumer products, and industrial discharges have intensified regulatory scrutiny. This review examines the evolving PFAS regulatory landscape in the United States, focusing on the pulp, paper, and textiles industries, which contribute significantly to PFAS contamination through wastewater discharges, end-product disposal, and the absence of dedicated removal technologies. PFAS emissions from food packaging alone are estimated at 2,300 kg annually. Addressing contamination presents substantial economic challenges, with wastewater treatment costs projected to reach USD 3 billion annually and growing risks of legal liabilities exemplified by paper mill settlements reaching USD 11.9 million for historical pollution. Large-scale remediation of PFAS remains financially prohibitive, with estimates exceeding the global gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 106 trillion. Additionally, healthcare costs for PFAS-linked diseases exceed USD 62 billion and further emphasize the need for prevention. State-level restrictions on PFAS-containing consumer products are expanding, particularly in food packaging and textiles, which are now the most regulated across the United States. As PFAS-containing products face increasing market limitations and potential loss of sustainability certifications, which have already reduced sales growth by 70% in some cases, transitioning to non-fluorinated alternatives could significantly mitigate economic risks for paper and textiles companies. Within this context, this review highlights the urgency of integrating policy, technological innovation, and economic incentives to accelerate the transition away from PFAS and mitigate long-term environmental and financial liabilities.
随着有证据表明全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）具有持久性、生物累积潜力及对健康的不利影响，公众对其的关注度持续上升。在饮用水、消费品和工业排放物中检测到的此类物质越来越多，这加大了监管审查力度。本综述考察了美国不断演变的PFAS监管格局，重点关注纸浆、造纸和纺织行业，这些行业通过废水排放、终端产品处置以及缺乏专门的去除技术，对PFAS污染有重大贡献。仅食品包装的PFAS排放量估计每年就达2300千克。解决污染问题面临重大经济挑战，废水处理成本预计每年将达到30亿美元，而且法律责任风险不断增加，例如造纸厂因历史污染问题达成的和解金额高达1190万美元。大规模修复PFAS在经济上仍然令人望而却步，估计费用超过全球106万亿美元的国内生产总值（GDP）。此外，与PFAS相关疾病的医疗费用超过620亿美元，这进一步凸显了预防的必要性。美国各州对含PFAS消费品的限制正在扩大，尤其是在食品包装和纺织品领域，目前这两个领域在美国受到的监管最为严格。由于含PFAS产品面临越来越多的市场限制以及可持续性认证可能丧失的情况，在某些情况下这已经使销售增长降低了70%，因此转向无氟替代品可以显著降低造纸和纺织公司的经济风险。在此背景下，本综述强调了整合政策、技术创新和经济激励措施以加速远离PFAS的转型并减轻长期环境和财务责任的紧迫性。
