perfluorooctane sulfonate

See also: perfluorooctanesulfonate

English

Alternative forms

• perfluorooctanesulfonate

Noun

perfluorooctane sulfonate (uncountable)

1. Any salt or ester of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid.

   Synonyms: PFOS, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid

   Hypernym: persistent organic pollutant

   Coordinate terms: PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid

   • 2007, Elizabeth Grossman, High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health, Island Press, →ISBN, page 284:

     Curious, I looked it up and discovered that it's in the class of chemicals that were manufactured by 3M for use in Scotchguard, among other consumer products and applications. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) received a flurry of attention around 2000, when studies of its effects on animal and human health showed that it was bioaccumulative (meaning that it accumulates in body tissue, especially in fat where it can linger for years), persistent, and toxic to mammals.

Further reading

• perfluorooctanesulfonic acid on Wikipedia.Wikipedia