PFAS: Ecological Implications, Remedial Actions and Ethical Considerations
Date
2023-08-31Author
Awolesi, Oluwafemi
Oni, Peter
Oshinowo, Abiodun
Olubusoye, Boluwatife S.
Owusu, Faustina
Pama, Simeon Sunday
Osobamiro, Temitope
Ongwech, Acaye
Awolesi, Omotoyosi
Arwenyo, Beatrice
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The C-F bond is one of the strongest in organic chemistry. It is responsible
for the great stability of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as “PFAS”, a group of man-made chemicals that include
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Thermal stability, surface activity, dielectric characteristics, chemical resistance,
and inertness are just a few of the technical advantages that this group has
over hydrocarbons, and since the 1950s, these chemicals have been largely
utilized in a variety of domestic and industrial endeavors. The hydrophilic
and lipophilic nature of this class of chemicals accounts for its uniqueness.
Up until today, the chemistry and ecotoxicology of these chemicals continue
to emerge. Issues concerning the destructive power of ignorance expedited by
an ineffective regulatory institution continue to show that manufacturing
chemicals are insufficient without giving serious thought to issues of openness and humanity’s awareness of its own safety. When discussing the nature
of humanity and how it can be defined or redefined, it is important to allude
to the significance of integrating business with ethics in its various forms. This
paper highlights the importance of holding polluters accountable for PFAS
contamination cleanup costs while emphasizing the need for chemical manufacturers to test and disclose the health and environmental effects of PFAS
compounds. In addition, the sources, types, properties, applications, distribution, toxicological implications, regulations, and analytical methods associated
with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are explored. The effectiveness of the remedial methods described in this paper needs to be progressively tested while exploring other sustainable approaches.
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