Research Journal Of Chemistry And Environment Vol. 9 (3) Sept. (2005) Res. J. Chem.Environ. Fluorinated Organic Chemicals: A Review Kurunthachalam Senthil Kumar Shimadzu Techno-Research Inc., #1, Nishinokyo-Shimoaicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8436, JAPAN * kskumar@shimadzu-techno.co.jp Abstract Recent studies reveal accumulation potential of environmentally peculiar, recalcitrance and emerging chemicals namely “fluorinated organic chemicals (FOCs)” in un-occupationally exposed human blood, serum, liver, wildlife from aquatic and terrestrial environment, human food-stuff samples, drinking water and even in biota from Arctic and Antarctic regions. Particularly, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an important surfactant itself as well as a precursor to other fluorinated surfactants and pesticides. Consequently, they are considered as major representative chemicals for future work. PFOS exposure results in lowered food intake, body-weight (BW) and further estrous cyclicity in rats. PFOS treatment also increased norepinephrine concentrations in the paraventri- cular nucleus of the hypothalamus in rats. Other fundamental studies with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) elucidated peroxisome proliferation in humans. A numbers of studies demonstrated that PFOS, PFOA and other FOCs can alter brain monoamines, serum corticosterone and leptin levels in rodents and primates. Therefore, FOCs are an important class of specialty chemicals that have physio-chemical properties that differentiate them from chlorinated hydrocarbon surfactants. Little is known about the occurrence, transport, bio- degradation, and toxicity of FOCs in environment. Considering these facts, in this study, various aspects regarding FOCs have been reviewed and highlighted. Introduction Fluorinated organic chemicals (FOCs) are classified as sulfonyl-based electrochemical fluorination and telomerization compounds which are utilized by a number of manufacturers over global terms, an emerging class of persistent global organohalogen contaminants 1-3 . Particularly, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an important surfactant itself as well as a precursor to other fluorinated surfactants and considered a great concern due to its ubiquitous presence in the environment. Consequently, PFOS has been determined in air 4 , water 5-10 , fish and crustaceans 1, 10-12 , oysters 13 , mink and otters 14 , marine mammals 11, 15 , birds 11, 16-17 , humans 10, 18-21 and fast food 22 in several parts of the world as well as in remote environment such as Arctic and Antarctic 1, 15-16, 23 by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry which is most suitable method to determine FOCs. The biota seems to be a major sink of PFOS rather than the sediment and soil. Because FOCs constitute a diverse group of chemicals that have emerged as global environmental concern, they are used in a variety of specialized consumer and industrial products. Especially, perfluorinated acid group of sulfonic acids (namely, perfluoroalkyl sulfonates “PFASs”) and carboxylate acids (namely, perfluorocarboxylates “PFCs”) have attracted more interest. Some 30 naturally occurring organofluorines are known to exist. Most biogenic fluorinated chemicals contain only one fluorine atom per molecule. Particularly, PFOS (Figure 1) has been the subject of an international concern with environmental and human health hazard assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 24 . The OECD hazard assessment concludes PFOS is persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic to mammals. Due to concerns over PFOS, the PFOS alternative perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorinated telomers are being investigated internationally to identify potential environmental and health hazards. There are significant concerns that PFOA, like PFOS, is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Little is known yet about FOCs, however, international investigations of these chemicals are currently underway. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), in 1999, began investigating PFOS, a widely used perfluorochemical based on the data generated by 3M Company at St. Paul, Minneapolis USA (the principal manufacturer of PFOS over global terms). On May 16, 2000, 3M Co. announced that it would voluntarily phase-out all PFOS and also PFOA by the end of 2003. This decision was based on the persistence and pervasiveness of these anthropogenic compounds, despite vast economical and technological interests 25 and detectable amounts of PFOS and PFOA from employees at 3M Co. 26 with parts-per-million (ppm) levels and in general populations from USA, Japan, Europe and China with parts-per-billion (ppb) levels 27 . However, the 3M Co. noted that some production of PFASs might continue for the use in fire-fighting foams 25 . In June 2000, USEPA identified possible health concern related to PFOA and fluorinated telomers. In April (50) Review Paper: