Researchers Debate Basing PFAS Replacement On Chemicals' 'Essentiality'

摘要

Researchers and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) experts at a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) workshop debated the concept of phasing out or replacing uses of PFAS based on how essential their use is, sparked by a publication that proposes the concept of separating PFAS into three categories of "essentiality." The NAS workshop was the latest in a slew of events on PFAS chemicals in recent months, bringing together researchers and regulators to ponder the thorny issue of environmental contamination by the large class of persistent chemicals with ubiquitous uses in modern products ranging from food packaging to firefighting foam.