Field Monitoring of PFAS: Current Trends and Emerging Challenges in Japan

Abstract

This paper reviews the status and challenges of monitoring PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in aquatic environments, soil, and wildlife, and suggests future directions for field monitoring in Japan. Currently, attention in Japan is focused on PFAS contamination in rivers and drinking water, as well as PFAS adsorption to soil and groundwater contamination and associated risks, while the contamination status of wildlife remains unknown. PFAS accumulate in the liver, serum and kidneys of living organisms and have been implicated in lipid metabolism disorders and liver damage. Therefore, biomonitoring of higher trophic level species such as fish, birds and cetaceans is critical to understanding environmental contamination levels and ecological impacts. However, analytical techniques for this purpose remain limited.

In the future, it will be necessary to establish a comprehensive monitoring system for legacy PFAS, as well as emerging and alternative PFAS, and to introduce high-precision analytical methods. In addition, scientific knowledge that considers ecological impacts is needed for policy decisions that go beyond human health. To this end, Japan urgently needs to expand environmental monitoring and establish a comprehensive PFAS management strategy through international coordination.