PFAS alternatives

This exciting new cross-journal collection will be dedicated to advancing the science and application of alternatives to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The collection aims to build on the growing momentum in the development of PFAS-free chemistries and materials, providing a central platform for the latest research, insights, and innovations in this critical area.

The collection will be hosted by the RSC’s environment and sustainability journals Environmental Science: Advances, Environmental Science: Atmospheres, Environmental Science: Nano, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts and RSC Sustainability and seeks to uncover new opportunities in this evolving field that support the transition away from PFAS. The breadth of the subject requires that we focus on particular key topics to facilitate the most effective communication between researchers and to aid the wider community in finding key information relating to the most recent developments. The collection will therefore focus on the following topics:

• Development of PFAS-free alternative chemistries, materials and technologies
• Applications of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles
• Compilations of various PFAS alternatives for specific use cases
• Testing of performance and safety of alternatives
• Alternatives’ assessment (including performance, hazard assessment and lifecycle assessment)
• Circular economy approaches
• Global perspectives on alternatives

Central to this collection is the examination of the relationship between functional behaviour and industrial relevance and the environmental impacts of alternatives to PFAS. It is expected that this journal collection will help to identify and disseminate best practice in the adoption of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles to prevent regrettable substitutions whilst also facilitating the reduction in the discovery-to-deployment times for PFAS alternatives.

These ambitions are considerable and challenging and so both reflect the nature of the topic and the need for a dedicated journal collection.

If you are interested in contributing to this collection, please contact the editorial office of your preferred journal and we will set up a bespoke submission link for you to use to prepare your submission. Alternatively, upon submission mention that your work is a contribution to the PFAS alternatives collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call.