PFAS in Nigeria: Identifying data gaps that hinder assessments of ecotoxicological and human health impacts

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

This review examines the extensive use and environmental consequences of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on a global scale, specifically emphasizing their potential impact in Nigeria. Recognized for their resistance to water and oil, PFAS are under increased scrutiny for their persistent nature and possible ecotoxicological risks. Here, we consolidate existing knowledge on the ecological and human health effects of PFAS in Nigeria, focusing on their neurological effects and the risks they pose to immune system health. We seek to balance the advantages of PFAS with their potential ecological and health hazards, thereby enhancing understanding of PFAS management in Nigeria and advocating for more effective policy interventions and the creation of safer alternatives. The review concludes with several recommendations: strengthening regulatory frameworks, intensifying research into the ecological and health impacts of PFAS, developing new methodologies and longitudinal studies, fostering collaborative efforts for PFAS management, and promoting public awareness and education to support sustainable environmental practices and healthier communities in Nigeria.

Related collections

Most cited references 138

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment: Terminology, Classification, and Origins

Robert Buck, James Franklin, Urs Berger … (2011)

The primary aim of this article is to provide an overview of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) detected in the environment, wildlife, and humans, and recommend clear, specific, and descriptive terminology, names, and acronyms for PFASs. The overarching objective is to unify and harmonize communication on PFASs by offering terminology for use by the global scientific, regulatory, and industrial communities. A particular emphasis is placed on long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, substances related to the long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, and substances intended as alternatives to the use of the long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids or their precursors. First, we define PFASs, classify them into various families, and recommend a pragmatic set of common names and acronyms for both the families and their individual members. Terminology related to fluorinated polymers is an important aspect of our classification. Second, we provide a brief description of the 2 main production processes, electrochemical fluorination and telomerization, used for introducing perfluoroalkyl moieties into organic compounds, and we specify the types of byproducts (isomers and homologues) likely to arise in these processes. Third, we show how the principal families of PFASs are interrelated as industrial, environmental, or metabolic precursors or transformation products of one another. We pay particular attention to those PFASs that have the potential to be converted, by abiotic or biotic environmental processes or by human metabolism, into long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic or sulfonic acids, which are currently the focus of regulatory action. The Supplemental Data lists 42 families and subfamilies of PFASs and 268 selected individual compounds, providing recommended names and acronyms, and structural formulas, as well as Chemical Abstracts Service registry numbers. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:513–541. © 2011 SETAC

0 comments Cited 787 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

A Review of the Pathways of Human Exposure to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Present Understanding of Health Effects

Elsie Sunderland, Xindi C. Hu, Clifton Dassuncao … (2018)

Here we review present understanding of sources and trends in human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and epidemiologic evidence for impacts on cancer, immune function, metabolic outcomes, and neurodevelopment. More than 4000 PFASs have been manufactured by humans and hundreds have been detected in environmental samples. Direct exposures due to use in products can be quickly phased out by shifts in chemical production but exposures driven by PFAS accumulation in the ocean and marine food chains and contamination of groundwater persist over long timescales. Serum concentrations of legacy PFASs in humans are declining globally but total exposures to newer PFASs and precursor compounds have not been well characterized. Human exposures to legacy PFASs from seafood and drinking water are stable or increasing in many regions, suggesting observed declines reflect phase-outs in legacy PFAS use in consumer products. Many regions globally are continuing to discover PFAS contaminated sites from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) use, particularly next to airports and military bases. Exposures from food packaging and indoor environments are uncertain due to a rapidly changing chemical landscape where legacy PFASs have been replaced by diverse precursors and custom molecules that are difficult to detect. Multiple studies find significant associations between PFAS exposure and adverse immune outcomes in children. Dyslipidemia is the strongest metabolic outcome associated with PFAS exposure. Evidence for cancer is limited to manufacturing locations with extremely high exposures and insufficient data are available to characterize impacts of PFAS exposures on neurodevelopment. Preliminary evidence suggests significant health effects associated with exposures to emerging PFASs. Lessons learned from legacy PFASs indicate that limited data should not be used as a justification to delay risk mitigation actions for replacement PFASs.

0 comments Cited 540 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Sources, fate and transport of perfluorocarboxylates.

Konstantinos Prevedouros, Ian T Cousins, Robert Buck … (2006)

This review describes the sources, fate, and transport of perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) in the environment, with a specific focus on perfluorooctanoate (PFO). The global historical industry-wide emissions of total PFCAs from direct (manufacture, use, consumer products) and indirect (PFCA impurities and/or precursors) sources were estimated to be 3200-7300 tonnes. It was estimated that the majority (approximately 80%) of PFCAs have been released to the environment from fluoropolymer manufacture and use. Although indirect sources were estimated to be much less importantthan direct sources, there were larger uncertainties associated with the calculations for indirect sources. The physical-chemical properties of PFO (negligible vapor pressure, high solubility in water, and moderate sorption to solids) suggested that PFO would accumulate in surface waters. Estimated mass inventories of PFO in various environmental compartments confirmed that surface waters, especially oceans, contain the majority of PFO. The only environmental sinks for PFO were identified to be sediment burial and transport to the deep oceans, implying a long environmental residence time. Transport pathways for PFCAs in the environment were reviewed, and it was concluded that, in addition to atmospheric transport/degradation of precursors, atmospheric and ocean water transport of the PFCAs themselves could significantly contribute to their long-range transport. It was estimated that 2-12 tonnes/ year of PFO are transported to the Artic by oceanic transport, which is greater than the amount estimated to result from atmospheric transport/degradation of precursors.

0 comments Cited 398 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Contributors

Daniel Raphael Ejike Ewim

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Heliyon

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Heliyon

Title: Heliyon

Publisher: Elsevier

ISSN (Electronic): 2405-8440

Publication date PMC-release: 21 April 2024

Publication date Collection: 15 May 2024

Publication date (Electronic): 21 April 2024

Volume: 10

Issue: 9

Electronic Location Identifier: e29922

Affiliations

[a ]Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, USA

[b ]Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, USA

[c ]Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (COHSE), University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria

[d ]Department of Mechanical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

Author notes

[* ]Corresponding author. daniel.ewim@ 123456tuks.co.za

Article

Publisher Item ID: S2405-8440(24)05953-X Publisher ID: e29922

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29922

PMC ID: 11061687

PubMed ID: 38694092

SO-VID: f85f5752-c130-4bda-bd78-9d822da039f8

License:

This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

History

Date received : 15 January 2024

Date revision received : 5 April 2024

Date accepted : 17 April 2024

PFAS in Nigeria: Identifying data gaps that hinder assessments of ecotoxicological and human health impacts

Read this article at

Abstract

Related collections

Airbursts and Cratering Impacts

Most cited references 138

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment: Terminology, Classification, and Origins

A Review of the Pathways of Human Exposure to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Present Understanding of Health Effects

Sources, fate and transport of perfluorocarboxylates.

Author and article information

Contributors

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Article

History

Categories

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 694

Most referenced authors 1,402