Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class

TLDR

PFAS comprise a diverse class of chemicals—including perfluoroalkyl acids, perfluoroalkylether acids, precursors, fluoropolymers, perfluoropolyethers, and others—whose physicochemical, environmental, and toxicological properties justify a unified class approach. This commentary establishes a scientific basis for treating all PFAS as a single chemical class. The authors find that PFAS’s high persistence, accumulation potential, and hazards justify class‑wide regulation, and they outline regulatory examples, industry avoidance strategies, and options for governments and industry to eliminate non‑essential uses, develop safer alternatives, and remove existing PFAS.

Abstract

This commentary presents a scientific basis for managing as one chemical class the thousands of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The class includes perfluoroalkyl acids, perfluoroalkylether acids, and their precursors; fluoropolymers and perfluoropolyethers; and other PFAS. The basis for the class approach is presented in relation to their physicochemical, environmental, and toxicological properties. Specifically, the high persistence, accumulation potential, and/or hazards (known and potential) of PFAS studied to date warrant treating all PFAS as a single class. Examples are provided of how some PFAS are being regulated and how some businesses are avoiding all PFAS in their products and purchasing decisions. We conclude with options for how governments and industry can apply the class-based approach, emphasizing the importance of eliminating non-essential uses of PFAS, and further developing safer alternatives and methods to remove existing PFAS from the environment.