pfas-forever-chemicals
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as 'forever chemicals,' are a large group of synthetic compounds that persist indefinitely in the environment due to their extremely stable carbon-fluorine bonds. In plant science, these chemicals are of growing concern because they can be taken up from contaminated soil and water through plant roots, accumulating in tissues and potentially entering the food chain. Understanding how plants absorb, translocate, and respond to PFAS is critical for assessing food safety risks and developing phytoremediation strategies to clean contaminated environments.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-13
A large-scale review of 960 studies found that Chinese wastewater treatment plants release hundreds of toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' into waterways, with some facilities actually increasing PFAS levels rather than removing them.
370 distinct PFAS compounds were identified across 960 publications, with 107 detected in municipal wastewater and 55 in industrial wastewater effluent over 17 years.
Negative removal rates were observed — meaning some treatment processes transform precursor chemicals into PFAS, increasing contamination rather than reducing it.
Key high-risk compounds including PFOS, PFOA, and FOSA exceeded ecological risk thresholds (risk quotient > 0.3) in discharged effluent, signaling danger to receiving waterways.