The acronym PFAS (PerFluorinated Alkylated Substances) refers to a group of poly- and per-fluoroalkyl chemical substances which, thanks to the fluoro-carbon bond, have flame retardant, surfactant and waterproofing properties against water and fats.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has identified more than 4700 PFAS of which the best known and most used (especially in the past) are PFOS (perfluoroethanesulphonic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), both eight carbon atoms.
These substances do not exist in nature, but are synthetic compounds produced in the laboratory whose characteristics of water-oil repellency and resistance to high temperatures have allowed them to be used on a broad spectrum in the industrial sector since the 1940s. last.
In fact, PFAS are found in many commonly used products such as: waterproof fabrics, non-stick pan coatings, parchment paper, food packaging coatings, cosmetics, medical devices, insecticides, paints, etc...
Furthermore, by virtue of their surfactant properties capable of removing dirt, we also find them in various home and personal care products such as waxes and detergents for house cleaning or in some shampoos.
PFAS are emerging contaminants and are called "eternal pollutants" due to their persistence in the environment due to their poor degradability.
In the same way as microplastics, they have by now reached a certain diffusion especially in highly industrialized territories where they have been found in surface and underground waters, in soils and even in marine aerosol.
PFAS contamination starts from industrial processes from where these extremely mobile substances manage to escape and contaminate groundwater, accumulating in cultivation fields and thus entering the food chain.
Human beings assimilate these compounds mainly through water and food (but also through inhalation and probably through skin absorption) and not having the ability to expel PFAS quickly (the half-life is around 4 years), the latter accumulate in the organism mainly in the blood.
Their toxicity is associated, among others, with immune system problems, hormonal alterations, tumors and fertility problems.