ArticlePloS one2021
Health and social concerns about living in three communities affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A qualitative study in Australia.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.
- Maternal perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of Pollution on Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Associations, Methodological Challenges, and Future Directions.Health science reports · 2026Review
- Psychosocial distress among individuals residing in a rural PFAS-contaminated community.International journal of hygiene and environmental health · 2026Article
- Effects of an information shock on registry-based health indicators: Evidence from a Swedish PFAS crisis.PloS one · 2026Article
- Communicating Pollutants That Threaten Tribal Identities: PFAS Contamination in Local Fish and Shellfish.Science communication · 2025Article
- Participant Experiences with Human Biomonitoring in Communities Affected by Chronic PFAS Environmental Contamination in the Veneto Region (Italy).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Exposure to Long- and Short-Chain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mice and Ovarian-Related Outcomes: AnEnvironmental health perspectives · 2025Article
- Specific and potent inhibition of steroid hormone pre-receptor regulator AKR1C2 by perfluorooctanoic acid: Implications for androgen metabolism.The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology · 2025Article
- Article
- Residents' experiences during a hydrogen sulfide crisis in Carson, California.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2024Article
- Advancing PFAS Sorbent Design: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Perspectives.ACS materials Au · 2024Review
- Residents' experiences during a hydrogen sulfide crisis in Carson, California.Research square · 2023Article
- Health and Psychological Concerns of Communities Affected by Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances: The Case of Residents Living in the Orange Area of the Veneto Region.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Review
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in breast milk and infant formula: A global issue.Environmental research · 2023Review
- Addressing systemic problems with exposure assessments to protect the public's health.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2023Review
- Let's talk about PFAS: Inconsistent public awareness about PFAS and its sources in the United States.PloS one · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a public health issue globally. In Australia high concentrations of PFAS have been found in environments close to sites where Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) were historically used for firefighting activities. This has resulted in significant community concern about the potential long-term health effects of these chemicals.
objectiveWe describe residents' perceptions and experiences of PFAS in three regional Australian towns where exposure has occurred.
methodsWe conducted focus groups to generate free-flowing open discussion on PFAS in three affected communities, including some with significant numbers of First Nations Peoples. We recruited participants using a range of media outlets and postal services. Focus group transcripts were analysed thematically to identify major shared concerns using Atlas Ti.
resultsOne hundred and eighty residents attended fifteen focus groups that were conducted in the three communities. They included 69 First Nations People living in three communities near the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory. Study participants were concerned about potential physical health effects of exposure to PFAS, such as cancer clusters, unexplained deaths, potential exacerbation of existing health conditions, and the future health of their children. They expressed feelings of stress and anxiety about living with uncertainty related to the possible health and the socio-economic impacts of PFAS contamination in their communities.
conclusionWhile research has concentrated on the physical health effects of PFAS, more attention needs to be given to the immediate psychosocial impacts of living in an affected community.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.