Following the definition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) suggested by Buck et al.(1) and adopted in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report(2) and in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PFAS inventory,(3) the recent letter titled “Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class” by Kwiatkowski et al.(4) proposes a class-based regulatory

Our recent publication titled, “Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class”,(1) concludes that the combination of high persistence, accumulation potential, mobility, and known and potential harm of the thousands of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) identified to date justifies managing them as a single class of chemicals. Class-based approaches have been applied to other chemicals

The study of Xiao et al.(1) deals with the thermal stability of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in particular with the decomposition pathways of PFAS during thermal reactivation of spent granular activated carbon (GAC). The study provides valuable insights into the behavior of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and sulfonic acids (PFSAs). It shows clearly that, contrary to common belief, PFCAs

Per- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used as surface-active agents in nonstick cookware and firefighting foams have generally been assumed to be thermally stable. However, our results published in Environmental Science& Technology Letters showed that thermal decomposition of certain legacy PFAS compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) can occur at temperatures as low as 150 °C.(1) In addition

The paper by Liberatore et al. is an interesting study showing the instability of GenX, a perfluorooctanoic acid alternative, in aprotic polar solvents such as acetonitrile, acetone, and dimethyl sulfoxide.(1) The authors discussed the reasons for the instability and possible chemical processes, but we would like to raise some further points. The authors proposed that proton dissociation, autodecarboxylation

“If I have seen further,” Isaac Newton wrote in a 1675 letter to fellow scientist Robert Hooke, “it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Newton’s humility originated early on from a formative appreciation of how knowledge builds upon itself, incrementally improving upon existing ideas until the cumulative adds up to the revolutionary. That is, standing on the shoulders of giants enables us to