Increasing worldwide attention is being focused on a group of persistent organic pollutants known as the perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). This class of compounds includes perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and a large number of other structurally related compounds sharing a variety of unique physical and chemical characteristics. Concern about these compounds is increasing as a growing number of studies indicate that they are toxic, bioaccumulative, and extraordinarily persistent in the environment. Moreover, the mean half-lives of human serum elimination of PFOS and PFOA have been estimated to be 5 and 4 years, respectively. While the vast majority of individuals living in the industrial world have measurable body burdens of the PFCs, almost nothing is known about how exposure to these compounds occurs. Very little is known about the potential health effects in humans, but a growing body of evidence indicates significant toxicity in various animal models. Given their unique chemical and physical properties, and their unusual persistence, these compounds are likely to be a major public health concern for the foreseeable future. This presentation summarizes information about the distribution of these materials in the environment, what is currently known about the possible routes of human exposure, and some of the key studies examining their toxicity.
