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Analysis and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the global aquatic environment: perspectives and combined risks with microplastics
Summary
This review provided a comprehensive overview of PFAS fate, transport, and toxicity in global aquatic environments, with particular attention to analytical challenges for ultrashort-chain compounds. The authors also addressed combined risks from PFAS and microplastics co-occurring in water, noting synergistic contamination concerns.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic, highly persistent environmental contaminants increasingly recognized for their global occurrence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicological impacts. This review provides a critical overview of analytical challenges and the environmental fate of both legacy and emerging PFAS, with particular emphasis on ultrashort-chain compounds such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The existing literature pertaining to PFAS occurrence across aquatic systems, landfill leachates, sewage sludge, and food matrices is synthesized, and their interactions with microplastics (MPs) are examined, underscoring combined risks to ecosystems and human health. Advances in targeted liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) coupled with non-target analysis (NTA) have greatly expanded PFAS detection, identifying over 750 novel compounds and revealing total concentrations up to seven times higher than targeted screening alone, while gas chromatography-non-target screening (GC-NTS) enables the detection of neutral and volatile PFAS from high-temperature processes. The insights presented aim to support the development of sustainable monitoring, mitigation, and policy frameworks for PFAS management in the context of global water reuse and the circular economy.