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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

PFAS en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpiːfæs/

Meanings

  1. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable) Acronym of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance (“a type of environmental pollutant”).
    • After research into foam at the Belgian seaside showing a concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – widely used for their waterproofing qualities but difficult to destroy – the Dutch public health institute RIVM measured the coast in Zeeland, north and south Holland in April and August. 2023 December 13, Senay Boztas, “Netherlands warns children not to swallow sea foam over PFAS concerns”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2024:
    • A new study that checked American women’s breast milk for PFAS contamination detected the toxic chemical in all 50 samples tested, and at levels nearly 2,000 times higher than the level some public health advocates advise is safe for drinking water. 2021 May 13, Tom Perkins, “Study finds alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in US mothers’ breast milk”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2022, retrieved 13 May 2021:
    • The US company 3M was the first to manufacture a PFAS commercially – the C8, PFOA. 2019, Gretta Goldenman et al., The cost of inaction […] , Nordic Council of Ministers, →ISBN, page 51:
  2. (countable, qualifier:by restriction, uncountable) Acronym of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance (“a type of environmental pollutant”). ▸ a perfluoroalkyl substance
  3. (countable, qualifier:by restriction, uncountable) Acronym of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance (“a type of environmental pollutant”). ▸ a polyfluoroalkyl substance
  4. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable) Initialism of pollen-food allergy syndrome.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
PFAS Number=Plur lexicographic
PFASs Number=Plur lexicographic

Hypernyms

fluoroalkyl

Hyponyms

PFOA · PFOS

Relateds

per- · fluoro- · s (substance) · poly- · alkyl

Synonyms

forever chemical · forever chemical · forever chemical