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Polyfluorinated Chemicals and Transformation Products pp 25–39Cite as

Perfluorinated Compounds: Occurrence and Uses in Products

Part of the The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry book series (HEC,volume 17)

Abstract

Perfluorinated compounds are a chemical family of all organic compounds consisting of a carbon backbone fully surrounded by fluorine and represent a large and complex group of organic substances with unique characteristics. They are used in several industrial branches, but they also occur in a large range of consumer products. Because of their extraordinary properties such as chemically inert, non-wetting, very slippery, nontoxic, nonstick, highly fire resistant, very high-temperature ratings, highly weather resistant, they are applied in fluoropolymer-coated cookware, sports clothing, extreme weather-resistant military uniforms, food handling equipment, medical equipment, motor oil additives, fire fighting foams, paint and ink as well as water-repellent products. Currently, the knowledge of the exact chemical compositions in articles and preparations of perfluorinated compounds is very limited. Since the exact composition of perfluorinated compounds in consumer products is mostly confidential, a range of analytical studies concerning the content of perfluorinated compounds in consumer products have been carried out over the past years with the intention to better understand the intentional and residual content and release of fluorinated substances from consumer products and their impact to health and the environment.

Keywords

  • Consumer products
  • Perfluorinated carboxylic acids
  • Perfluorinated compounds
  • Telomer alcohols

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Fig. 1
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Fig. 3

Notes

  1. 1.

    Includes four car-care products, two boat-care products, one deck cleaner and one dry sack for outdoor use.

Abbreviations

FTOH:

Fluorotelomer alcohols

FTS:

Fluorotelomer sulfonates

PFCA:

Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid/Perfluoroalkyl carboxylate

PFCs:

Perfluoroalkyl compounds

PFNA:

Perfluorononanoic acid

PFOA:

Perfluorooctanoic acid

PFOS:

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid

PFS:

Perfluorinated sulfonates

POP:

Persistent organic pollutant

PTFE:

Polytetrafluoroethylene

UNEP:

United Nations Environmental Programme

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swerea IVF, 104, 431-22, Mölndal, Sweden

    Stefan Posner

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Correspondence to Stefan Posner .

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  1. , Institute for Analytical Chemistry (IDAR, University of Applied Sciences Fresenius, Limburger Str. 2, Idstein, 65510, Germany

    Thomas P. Knepper

  2. DVGW Water Technology Center, Karlsruher Str. 84, Karlsruhe, 76139, Germany

    Frank T. Lange

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Posner, S. (2012). Perfluorinated Compounds: Occurrence and Uses in Products. In: Knepper, T., Lange, F. (eds) Polyfluorinated Chemicals and Transformation Products. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry(), vol 17. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21872-9_2

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