Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals. They are characterized by carbon-fluorine bonds. This makes them difficult to biodegrade in the environment and often harmful to health.
Textiles and surface water
The group of PFAS compounds encompasses thousands of substances, but the effects of many of them are still unknown because they cannot yet be measured. Liwara's research therefore focused on confirming PFAS suspected of being present in the environment and consumer products. He specifically looked at textiles and surface water, where PFAS are often found in samples.
He confirmed the presence of PFAS that had not previously been routinely monitored. These newly identified compounds can be quantified through his research. The study demonstrates the complexity of the PFAS problem and shows that many compounds present in the environment are currently overlooked.
New standards
The study provides new standards that can be used by laboratories or regulatory agencies to more effectively monitor PFAS contamination. These standards can help expand the list of target compounds and thus gain a better understanding of the presence of PFAS. Furthermore, the standards can be used in toxicological tests to assess the potential risks of these substances to human health.
Most of the research was conducted in the laboratory, both at VU Amsterdam and at Chiron in Trondheim, Norway, as well as other companies and institutes, focusing on the synthesis of analytical standards and the analysis of environmental and consumer products. Common chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques were used for the identification and quantification of PFAS.
Liwara will defend his dissertation on November 10.