We are pleased to share important scientific and educational news about PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as “forever chemicals” due to their extreme environmental persistence.
Important scientific publication
A new paper entitled “Short-chain PFAS exposure during gestation and breastfeeding alters learning and memory in adulthood: possible mechanisms related to brain development” has been published in Frontiers in Toxicology.
The study, the result of experimental research involving the IRET Foundation, the University of Bologna, and the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of the Veneto, provides experimental evidence of the effects of certain short-chain PFAS on neurodevelopment in an animal model. The results show alterations in cognitive behavior and neuronal maturation in animals exposed during the perinatal period, raising important questions about the safety of these compounds, previously considered “safe” alternatives to long-chain PFAS.
Full video of the conference on PFAS
With the publication and growing scientific and social interest in PFAS, we would like to remind you that the full video recording of the international conference “PFAS, environment, health: the chemical legacy of our time,” held in Bologna on November 22, 2025, and promoted by the Bologna-Ozzano Technopole together with the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), is now available.
The meeting, open to the public and attended by experts from Italian and international universities and research centers, addressed topics such as:
- the impact of PFAS on human and animal health;
- the state of scientific knowledge and regulations;
- case studies and technological perspectives for contamination mitigation.
📌 For further information:
➡️ Read the full paper in Frontiers in Toxicology
➡️ Watch the video of the conference