Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic organofluorine compounds characterized by carbon chains that are fully or partially fluorinated, conferring exceptional thermal, chemical, and surfactant stability. As a research topic, PFAS encompasses their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, complex transport and transformation pathways, and emerging toxicological profiles, including interactions with lipid metabolism, endocrine signaling, and immune function. Investigations address analytical challenges in ultra-trace detection, structural diversity (e.g., legacy vs. replacement PFAS), mixture effects, and the development of remediation technologies and regulatory frameworks, making PFAS a central focus in environmental chemistry, exposure science, and risk assessment.
A new study has found that plants may reveal recent PFAS contamination linked to airborne deposition that can go undetected in soil analyses. Conducted in agricultural fields near the conflict zone in southern Israel, the ...
Ecology
Jun 11, 2026
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To the scientists and ecologists working to save them, Australia's Euastacus crayfish species are fascinating, living relics from a time long ago.
Plants & Animals
Jun 10, 2026
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9
Current climate and nature policies are working at cross-purposes, wasting public funds and causing unintended damage to ecosystems, according to a major new report co-authored by a University of York researcher.
Environment
Jun 10, 2026
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6
Wildland firefighters are exposed to a mix of harmful chemicals in the smoke they breathe and the ash and soot that gets on their clothing. Over long assignments fighting fires that can last for days to weeks, those chemicals ...
Nanomaterials
Jun 9, 2026
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9
For more than 30 years, manufacturers of ski and snowboard waxes have used PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—to make skis and snowboards glide faster over snow. These synthetic chemicals were highly effective and common ...
Environment
Jun 3, 2026
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10
A new investigation from the University of Kansas improves detection of PFAS, a family of so-called "forever chemicals" in drinking water supplies. The method, which can measure trace pollution levels of PFAS in water more ...
Environment
Jun 2, 2026
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20
There is a forever chemical lurking in the world's oceans that could be fundamentally altering the biology of marine life before it even hatches. PFOS, a notorious member of the PFAS family of chemicals, is known for its ...
Plants & Animals
May 29, 2026
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10
When fire tore through Los Angeles County in January 2025, westerly winds blew most of the smoke and ash over the Pacific, keeping the main measure of air quality, total mass of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, at or near ...
Environment
May 21, 2026
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7
What do a thriving coral reef and a bustling city neighborhood have in common? More than you might think. A Perspective by Federico Botta and colleagues published in PNAS Nexus proposes a method for measuring urban vibrancy ...
Environment
May 19, 2026
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7
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," are now found almost everywhere scientists look. They have been detected in rivers, oceans, wildlife, food and even human blood.
Ecology
May 19, 2026
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9
