Replacement PFAS come under increasing scientific scrutiny

A study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters has identified neurological effects associated with 7:3 FTCA, a PFAS formed through the degradation of fluorotelomer alcohols that are still used in certain industrial applications and are being detected with increasing frequency in the environment. Conducted on gull embryos and mice exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations, the research revealed activation of immune cells in the brain accompanied by changes in neuronal activity and behaviour. While the findings cannot be directly extrapolated to humans, they highlight the need for a more comprehensive toxicological assessment of next-generation PFAS, which are being developed as alternatives to substances that are now subject to tighter regulatory controls.