Environmental levels and human body burdens of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Africa: A critical review
Loading...
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Science of the Total Environment
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are known organic pollutants with adverse health
effects on humans and the ecosystem. This paper synthesises literature about the status of the
pollutants and their precursors, identifies knowledge gaps and discusses future perspectives on
the study of PFASs in Africa. Limited data on PFASs prevalence in Africa is available because
there is limited capacity to monitor PFASs in African laboratories. The levels of PFASs in Africa
are higher in samples from urban and industrialized areas compared to rural areas.
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the dominant
PFASs in human samples from Africa. Levels of PFOS and PFOA in these samples are lower
than or comparable to those from industrialised countries. PFOA and PFOS levels in drinking
water in Africa are, in some cases, higher than the EPA drinking water guidelines suggesting
potential risk to humans. The levels of PFASs in birds’ eggs from South Africa are higher, while
those in other environmental media from Africa are lower or comparable to those from
industrialised countries. Diet influences the pollutant levels in fish, while size and sex affect their
accumulation in crocodiles. No bioaccumulation of PFASs in aquatic systems in Africa could be
confirmed due to small sample sizes. Reported sources of PFASs in Africa include municipal
landfills, inefficient wastewater treatment plants, consumer products containing PFASs,
industrial wastewater and urban runoff. Relevant stakeholders need to take serious action to
identify and deal with the salient sources of PFASs on the African continent.
Description
Keywords
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFOA, PFOS, Human body burdens, Africa
Citation
Ssebugere, P., Sillanpää, M., Matovu, H., Wang, Z., Schramm, K. W., Omwoma, S., ... & Odongo, S. (2020). Environmental levels and human body burdens of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in Africa: A critical review. Science of the Total Environment, 739, 139913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139913