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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals of global concern. A group of 36 scientists and regulators from 18 countries held a hybrid workshop in 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop, a sequel to a previous Zürich workshop held in 2017, deliberated on progress in the last five years and discussed further needs for cooperative scientific research and regulatory action on PFASs. This review reflects discussion and insights gained during and after this workshop and summarizes key signs of progress in science and policy, ongoing critical issues to be addressed, and possible ways forward. Some key take home messages include: 1) understanding of human health effects continues to develop dramatically, 2) regulatory guidelines continue to drop, 3) better understanding of emissions and contamination levels is needed in more parts of the world, 4) analytical methods, while improving, still only cover around 50 PFASs, and 5) discussions of how to group PFASs for regulation (including subgroupings) have gathered momentum with several jurisdictions proposing restricting a large proportion of PFAS uses. It was concluded that more multi-group exchanges are needed in the future and that there should be a greater diversity of participants at future workshops.

The Stockholm Convention is key to addressing the global threats of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to humanity and the environment. It has been successful in identifying new POPs, but its national implementation remains challenging, particularly by low- and middle-income Parties. Concerted action is needed to assist Parties in implementing the Convention’s obligations. This analysis aims to identify and recommend research and scientific support needed for timely implementation of the Convention. We aim this analysis at scientists and experts from a variety of natural and social sciences and from all sectors (academia, civil society, industry, and government institutions), as well as research funding agencies. Further, we provide practical guidance to scientists and experts to promote the visibility and accessibility of their work for the Convention’s implementation, followed by recommendations for sustaining scientific support to the Convention. This study is the first of a series on analyzing policy needs for scientific evidence under global governance on chemicals and waste.

In this study, polybrominated and mixed halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PBDD/Fs and PXDD/Fs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dlPCBs) were quantified in 24 human milk samples of first-time lactating mothers from Greater Accra region in Ghana. The aims of the study were to determine the concentrations and toxic equivalent concentrations of PBDD/F, PXDD/F and dlPCBs in human milk, and to estimate an infant's daily intake. The samples were analysed for 12 dioxin-like PCBs, 7 congeners of 2,3,7,8-polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PBDD/Fs), and 7 congeners of 2,3,7,8-mixed halogenated dioxins and furans (PXDD/Fs, where X = Br/Cl). The mean concentrations in human milk ranged from 0.15 to 212.9 pg/g lipid for dlPCB congeners (mean TEQ: 1.67 pg WHO2005-TEQ/g lipid). Lesser concentrations for 2,3,7,8-PXDD/Fs (and PBDD/Fs congeners) ranged between <0.01–1.67 pg/g lipid, with a total mean tentative TEQ of 0.56 pg WHO2005-TEQ/g lipid. For an infant of average weight 7 kg, consuming an estimated volume of 600 mL human milk, the estimated average daily intake of dlPCBs in 21 human milk samples was 4.95 pg TEQ/kg bw/day; contributions from dlPCBs, PXDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs resulted in an average estimated daily intake of 6.56 pg TEQ/kg bw/day. The results obtained in this study, although lower than infant dietary intake estimates in human milk from industrialized countries, exceeded the recommended safety standards of 1 pg TEQ/kg bw/day and 1–4 pg TEQ/kg bw/day from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the World Health Organization (WHO), respectively.

Ghana is one of the top pesticide users and highest persistent organic pollutant (POP) emitters in sub-saharan Africa. Despite recent increases in published data, there is limited information on how POP concentrations have changed, post ratification of the Stockholm Convention. As a result, this review aims to address these knowledge gaps by collating available data that reported POPs in Ghanaian environmental matrices, identify spatial and temporal trends, and establish potential health risks. It is worth noting that Ghana has not developed its own regulatory standards for POPs, but adapts United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) standards. Results obtained showed concentrations in excess of USEPA regulatory standards for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl sulphonates (PFASs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) in water, polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs) in e-waste soils, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aquatic organisms and dairy products. The published studies do not cover major regions nationwide. The inconsistency in methods and analytes measured, along with data scarcity in some regions, makes it challenging to identify temporal trends. However, the data did indicate decreasing concentrations of some legacy POPs in soil/sediment and aquatic organisms, with increasing concentrations of some POPs in water, fish, fruits and vegetables. Studies that performed health risks assessments were limited although the data indicated risks to e-waste workers, some farmers and vulnerable sub-populations. This review identified potential human health risks from POPs in the Ghanaian environment and the need for more consistent and widespread monitoring program.