Emerging pollutants & microplastics
PFAS are chemically inert and resistant, highly soluble in water.
Known as “forever chemicals” due to their environmental persistence (longer than any other synthetic substance) and ubiquitous distribution. Very mobile in environmental media, particularly in water, tend to bioaccumulate in aquatic biota and many living organisms. Large, complex group of synthetic chemicals commercially produced since the 1940s, (although their toxicity was not established until the late 1990s), massively and universally used since the 1950s; over 12,000 compounds, 100-1000 tonnes/year. Components of industrial applications, detergents, textiles, paper coatings, food containers, metal plating, firefighting foams, many everyday products, such as kitchen utensils, cosmetics, sunscreen, medical devices, clothing, carpets, shoes. They bioaccumulate and toxic substances associated to a wide variety of adverse health outcomes, including oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, hypertension altered immune and thyroid function, preeclampsia, liver and kidney diseases, lipid and insulin dysregulation, adverse reproductive and developmental effects, increased risks for some cancers.
Mainly studied in coastal areas (Directive 2008/56/EC), with only a few studies carried out in offshore waters.
Microplastics are ubiquitous in the marine environment and highly persistent. They bioaccumulate in marine organisms and can act as a carrier for chemical and biological agents in the aquatic environment. The production and distribution of plastic is massive : 4.8-12.7 million metric tonnes of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year. Microplastics are related to behavioural and physiological changes in exposed marine taxa and transport along the trophic chain exposes humans to potential risks. Current studies are limited to specific regions and lack of comparability.
