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.
Svalbard reindeer live in a place so remote they have actually evolved to become a subspecies. But that remoteness isn't enough to protect them from contaminants from the industrial world.
Environment
Apr 9, 2026
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23
Penguins living along the Patagonian coast of Argentina can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the ...
Environment
Apr 8, 2026
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21
A new study has found that public parks in underserved areas of Los Angeles can reach dangerously high temperatures, in some cases hot enough to cause pain or burns, because of the materials used to build them. The differences ...
Environment
Apr 8, 2026
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11
Exposure to "forever chemicals," per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has been linked to serious health issues, like immune system damage, cancers, pregnancy complications and liver damage. A new study, published in ...
Environment
Apr 7, 2026
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10
University of Tennessee Knoxville professor and Goodrich Chair of Excellence in Civil Engineering Frank Loeffler and his co-authors published new research on the environmental impacts of "forever chemicals" in Nature Microbiology. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 6, 2026
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343
Algae blooms make a pond's surface shine in mesmerizing green hues. But if the microorganisms responsible are cyanobacteria, they can also release toxins that harm humans and wildlife alike. A team reporting in ACS ES&T Water ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 5, 2026
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96
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed Thursday to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time, a step that could lead to new limits on those substances for ...
Environment
Apr 2, 2026
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14
A new international study offers insights into the health risks posed by crops' absorption of "contaminants of emerging concern" (CECs) and flags knowledge gaps the authors say must be addressed. CECs include pharmaceuticals, ...
Agriculture
Apr 1, 2026
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11
A new paper investigates how raptors, or birds of prey like hawks and eagles, act as a sentinel species that can reveal the level of forever chemicals in the local environment. The forever chemicals, or PFAS, are especially ...
Environment
Mar 26, 2026
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13
Levels of toxic "forever chemicals" in New Jersey's public water systems dropped by as much as 55% after the state moved to limit the contaminants in drinking water, according to a Rutgers Health researcher who has analyzed ...
Environment
Mar 25, 2026
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