Toxicology of perfluorinated compounds

Perfluorinated compounds [PFCs] are organic substances in which all of the hydrogens of the hydrocarbon backbones are substituted with fluorine atoms. The fluorine-carbon bonds are extremely stabile conferring these substances with very high thermal and chemical stability. PFCs are persistent, and some of the substances bioaccumulate in the environment.They can be divided into the groups of perfluorinated sulfonic acids, perfluorinated carboxylic acids [PFCA], fluorotelomer alcohols, high-molecular weight fluoropolymers and low-molecular weight perfluoroalkanamides. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid [PFOS] and perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA], often referred to as reference or key substances for the first two groups, have been most intensively studied from a toxicological standpoint.PFCs have been synthesized for more than 50 years and are used in numerous industrial and consumer products. These compounds are intermediates or additives in the synthesis of certain fluorine compounds or their decomposition products. These fluorine compounds are commonly used in consumer products as stain/water/grease repellents in carpets and clothing or in cooking utensils as nonstick coatings [1,2].The potentially toxic effects of these substances are presently being studied with increasing intensity. The relevance of this topic is also clearly reflected by the number of publications that have appeared in recent years. This increasing interest is the result of reports of toxic effects of PFCs in connection with the ubiquitous detection of this substance in the environment and in sundry matrices, i.e., bodies of water, wild animals, human blood, and breast milk samples, all of which have come to the attention of the public.An estimate was published in 2008 by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment [BfR] and the European Food Safety Authority [EFSA] regarding the potential risks of PFCs in food stuffs for human health. In this document, it was reasoned that adverse effects for the g