ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
• Source: Industrial processes, waste water treatment plants & landfills (5-30X
more), weathering of textiles
• Transfer: PFAS settle on leaves & grass, inhalation & deposition on feather or skin
WATER ENVIRONMENT
• Source: Natural/Treated water; industrial & commercial application, atmospheric
precipitation.
• Transfer: Fauna inhabiting aquatic ecosystem & water consumption of livestock
SOIL ENVIRONMENT
• Source: Waste leachate, occupational waste, (Air and Water envoronment)
• Transfer: Terrestrial animals ingest mud, plants (food source for animals)
• The bioaccumulation behaviors of PFAS are influenced by their chemical structures, including the fluoroalkyl
chains and functional groups.
• Linear PFAS tend to accumulate more in organisms compared with their branched isomers. In organisms,
linear PFAS could migrate from the bloodstream into various tissues
• Fuctional groups exhibited the following hierarchy in terms of biological affinities:
sulfonic acid > sulfonamide > carboxylic acid
• The bioaccumulation potential of PFAS varies with chain lengths and structures. Studies have found that
PFAS bioaccumulation correlated with the carbon chain length
• However, when tissue affinities of PFAS are considered, the results can be different.
Generally, PFAS are believed to accumulate in protein-rich tissues and organs, such as blood and the liver