Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Research Progress in Current and Emerging Issues of PFASs’ Global Impact: Long-Term Health Effects and Governance of Food Systems

This review covers per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called "forever chemicals," which are found in food, cosmetics, drinking water, and are linked to microplastic contamination. Decades of corporate delay and mismanagement have led to widespread human exposure with potential long-term health effects being studied across the globe. The authors examine PFAS levels in food and water from multiple countries and call for stronger regulations to protect public health.

2025 Foods 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Do They Matter to Aquatic Ecosystems?

This review examines PFAS, the persistent 'forever chemicals' widely used in consumer products, and their growing threat to aquatic ecosystems. Evidence indicates that PFAS accumulate in aquatic organisms, disrupt hormones, and can alter how other pollutants behave in the environment. The research is relevant to microplastic concerns because PFAS are commonly found in plastic products and can leach from microplastics into water.

2023 Toxics 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) on the marine environment: Raising awareness, challenges, legislation, and mitigation approaches under the One Health concept

This review examines how PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), often called 'forever chemicals,' are contaminating marine environments and interacting with other pollutants including microplastics. PFAS accumulate in marine food chains and can combine with microplastics to amplify toxic effects on ocean wildlife and ultimately human health through seafood consumption. The authors call for stronger regulations and cleanup strategies under a One Health approach that connects ocean, animal, and human well-being.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 76 citations
Article Tier 2

PFAS: forever chemicals—persistent, bioaccumulative and mobile. Reviewing the status and the need for their phase out and remediation of contaminated sites

Researchers reviewed the science on PFAS — a large family of synthetic "forever chemicals" used in thousands of products — finding that they persist indefinitely in the environment, accumulate in the food chain, and damage the liver, kidneys, thyroid, and immune system even at very low exposures. The authors conclude that swapping one harmful PFAS for another is not a solution and that a full phase-out in favor of fluorine-free alternatives is necessary.

2023 Environmental Sciences Europe 360 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate, distribution, and transport dynamics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in the environment

This review examines how PFAS, often called "forever chemicals," move through water, soil, plants, and air, with their ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bonds making them nearly indestructible in nature. While focused on PFAS rather than microplastics specifically, the two pollutants often co-occur and share similar concerns about persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential health effects.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 34 citations
Article Tier 2

The unheeded inherent connections and overlap between microplastics and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances: A comprehensive review

This review reveals the overlooked connection between microplastics and PFAS (forever chemicals), showing that these two widespread pollutants often come from the same products and interact in the environment. Microplastics can absorb PFAS onto their surfaces and transport them through water systems, potentially increasing exposure for aquatic organisms and humans. Understanding this overlap is important because the combined effects may be more harmful than either pollutant alone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the global aquatic environment: perspectives and combined risks with microplastics

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.

2025 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Why Aim Toward a PFAS-free Future?

This paper is not about microplastics — it reviews the environmental persistence, toxicity, and regulatory challenges associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called 'forever chemicals,' and argues for transitioning industry toward safer substitutes using green chemistry principles.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Revisiting the “forever chemicals”, PFOA and PFOS exposure in drinking water

Researchers reviewed 180 years of evidence on PFOA and PFOS — two of the most detected 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in drinking water — finding that contamination rates increased sharply between 2018 and 2019, and that many developing countries still lack the regulations or technology to address the problem. The review calls for stronger global monitoring systems and improved filtration technologies to protect drinking water supplies.

2023 npj Clean Water 312 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on soil structure and function

This review examines how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — often called forever chemicals — affect soil structure and the microbial communities that drive nutrient cycling. PFAS are found in many plastic-associated products and coatings and persist in soils for decades. The authors identify significant gaps in understanding how PFAS concentrations found in real-world soils affect ecosystem health.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Perspective on the Impact of Plastic Waste as a Source of Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment

This perspective examines the global environmental impact of plastic waste as a combined source of both microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals. Researchers highlight how plastics can release or transport these persistent chemicals as they degrade in the environment. The study argues that addressing plastic pollution requires considering these interconnected contaminants together rather than treating them as separate problems.

2023 ACS ES&T Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as carriers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environment: interactions and ecotoxicological effects

Researchers reviewed how microplastics serve as carriers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called forever chemicals, in aquatic environments. The study found that PFAS can attach to microplastic surfaces and accumulate in organisms through the food chain, potentially amplifying the toxic effects of both pollutants. The findings suggest that the combined presence of microplastics and PFAS poses a greater environmental and health risk than either pollutant alone.

2023 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 49 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Critical Evaluation and Meta-Analysis of Ecotoxicological Data on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Freshwater Species

This meta-analysis assessed the toxicity of PFAS ("forever chemicals" commonly found in plastics and coatings) to freshwater species. The findings suggest that even low concentrations of certain PFAS compounds can harm aquatic life, which has implications for ecosystems and the safety of our water supply.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Forever Chemicals, Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), in Lubrication

This review examines how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as forever chemicals, are used in lubricants and greases across automotive and industrial applications, and how they enter the environment through these products. PFAS exposure is a growing health concern because these chemicals accumulate in the body and have been linked to immune system problems, cancer, and developmental issues in humans.

2024 Lubricants 44 citations
Article Tier 2

PFAS Associated with Microplastics (MPs)

This review examined the environmental and health risks of the 'forever alliance' between PFAS and microplastics, where PFAS adsorb onto MP surfaces, increasing their environmental mobility, bioavailability, and combined toxicity. The interaction amplifies the hazards of both contaminant classes and complicates risk assessment.

2025
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the complexities of microplastics and PFAS synergy to foster sustainable environmental remediation and ecosystem protection: A critical review with novel insights

This review examines how microplastics and PFAS (sometimes called 'forever chemicals') interact in the environment, since both often come from the same everyday products. The authors found that microplastics can carry PFAS on their surface, and when organisms are exposed to both together, the combined toxic effects including oxidative stress and reproductive harm can be worse than either pollutant alone.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 13 citations
Article Tier 2

The Microplastic–PFAS Nexus: From Co-Occurrence to Combined Toxicity in Aquatic Environments

This review examines the interconnected environmental behavior of microplastics and PFAS ("forever chemicals"), showing that microplastics can act as carriers, concentrators, and secondary sources of PFAS contamination. Researchers found that co-exposure to both pollutants often produces synergistic toxic effects in aquatic organisms, disrupting processes from photosynthesis to neurological development. The study argues that current regulations assessing these pollutants individually are inadequate and must evolve to address their combined effects.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sentinel freshwater models, Daphnia, Zebrafish and unicellular green algae: A systemic review

Researchers reviewed 68 studies on how microplastics and PFAS ("forever chemicals") affect freshwater organisms like Daphnia, zebrafish, and algae, finding that both contaminants are more toxic at chronic low doses than in short-term exposures, and that combining them tends to amplify harm — while noting almost no research has studied them together.

2025 Environmental Pollution and Management 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Food packaging solutions in the post‐per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics era: A review of functions, materials, and bio‐based alternatives

This review examines how food packaging made with PFAS ("forever chemicals") and conventional plastics can release harmful microplastics and chemicals into the food we eat. The study highlights promising bio-based alternatives made from plant-derived materials that could replace these hazardous packaging materials and reduce our daily exposure to microplastics through food.

2024 Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 29 citations
Review Tier 2

Interaction of microplastics with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water: A review of the fate, mechanisms and toxicity

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for PFAS ("forever chemicals") in water, with the two pollutants interacting through various chemical mechanisms that affect their movement through the environment. The combined presence of microplastics and PFAS raises concerns about increased toxicity, since microplastics can transport these persistent chemicals into organisms and potentially concentrate their harmful effects.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Truth of Interactions between Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Microplastics as a Carrier of PFASs and Beyond

Researchers discovered that microplastics in wastewater treatment plants act as carriers for PFAS (forever chemicals), absorbing them from the water and potentially releasing them back into the environment. Commercial plastics were found to leach even more PFAS than environmental samples, with some chemicals releasing more than was originally absorbed. This dual role of microplastics as both carriers and sources of forever chemicals means they could significantly increase human exposure to these persistent, harmful substances.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging and Persistent Food Contaminants: A Decade Review of Their Health Risks and Mitigation Strategies

This decade-long narrative review synthesized evidence on emerging and persistent food contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Microplastics emerged as a growing concern across the food chain, with evidence accumulating for systemic health effects via ingestion of contaminated food and water.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances in water: Occurrence, analytical methodologies, and remediations strategies: A comprehensive review

This review comprehensively compiled information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, covering their sources, health effects, analytical detection methods, and remediation strategies for removing these persistent contaminants from aquatic environments.

2023 Reviews in Analytical Chemistry 6 citations
Article Tier 2

PFAS: Ecological Implications, Remedial Actions and Ethical Considerations

This review covers the ecological implications of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), their extreme environmental persistence due to the strength of the C-F bond, and current remediation strategies including thermal and chemical approaches. The authors also address ethical dimensions of PFAS production and regulation given their known toxicity.

2023 Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment 4 citations