Perfluoroalkyl chain-length-dependent environmental fate and treatment outcomes of PFAS in water

Abstract

This review elucidates physicochemical distinctions between short- and long-chain PFAS, including hydrophobicity, molecular volume, and C–F bond dissociation energy, and discusses their implications for environmental fate. Building on this framework, recent comparative studies examining chain-length-dependent PFAS removal efficiency and the associated mechanisms across non-destructive treatment processes were consolidated. In addition, this review clarifies the treatment-specific PFAS responses and mechanistic pathways involving defluorination and carbon-backbone cleavage during destructive processes.