
PFAS Competence Cluster
UFZ bundles expertise on "Forever Chemicals"
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - the "forever chemicals" - are a large family of fluorinated, anthropogenically produced chemicals, many of which are found in the environment as persistent pollutants. PFAS comprise almost 5,000 different compounds. In recent years, certain PFAS have been shown to have adverse health effects in addition to their environmental impact, which is of particular concern in combination with their persistence. However, only very few substances have sufficient data to reliably assess their environmental and health effects. However, PFAS continue to accumulate in the environment as they are persistent and non-recoverable.
There is a need for increased attention to this group of substances in order to take account of findings on the health effects of PFAS and to improve consumer health protection, to assess the toxicological potential, including their bioavailability, and to derive assessment values, but also to remove the substances from important resources such as water.
Through its interdisciplinary research, the UFZ generates and bundles new knowledge from different perspectives - society, various scientific disciplines and industry - on the environmental and human exposure to PFAS, the resulting health effects and develops technologies for removal: