Perfluoroalkyl substances in Mediterranean aquatic environments: Catalonia and Greece

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are industrial chemicals that have been widely used for more than 60 years. However, during the last decade, concern about their occurrence in the environment has arisen due to the high resistance of these compounds to degradation, bioaccumulation attached to proteins, and bio-magnification through the food chain. In addition, some PFASs can impair different metabolic functions, thus posing a risk to human health, especially during the early stages of life. Despite recent scientific and regulatory attention, most of the data available thus far on PFASs come from studies of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), although both compounds have largely been replaced by other shorter- but also longer-chain compounds, some of which can be degraded to PFOA and PFOS. PFASs spread in the environment via the aquatic cycle, where they reach drinking water, one of the main routes of human exposure to these contaminants. The Mediterranean region, with its dry summers and periodic floods, is particularly sensitive to water contamination. This article examines current knowledge on the presence of PFASs in the environments of two typical Mediterranean regions, Catalonia and Greece. [Contrib Sci 10:185-191 (2014)