Researchers of a new study into how a type of PFAS breaks down in the environment say their findings underline the need to better monitor a wider range of 'forever chemicals'.
A new study found a specific type of "forever chemical" is more prevalent than expected in firefighting foam s that were once widely used across Australia .
As well as firefighting foams, they're also used for industrial purposes, such as pesticides and electronics, and household and personal care products such as cookware and dental floss.toxic, the synthetic chemicals can also build up in organisms and across food chains. This is known as bioaccumulation.
According to the NHMRC, no guideline value has been proposed for branched PFOA or any other branched PFAS compound. Professor O'Carroll said there were "definitely gaps" in what types of PFAS are tested for in Australia, and that branched PFOA and its PFAS precursors should be subject to drinking water guidance and regular monitoring.
" clearly shows that the breakdown can go in many ways … you might have a ticking time bomb in terms of concentrations.Moving forward, Professor O'Carroll said Australia needed to take a "measured response" to identifying and monitoring PFAS chemicals in our environment. He noted, however, that the process led to "highly fluoridated end products" that still had some level of toxicity, which isn't ideal.
Forever Chemicals Science Research Health PFAS Contamination Firefighting Foam Water Australia
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