Furans

Animal-derived foods, contaminated soil and sediments, industrial emissions, combustion-related air pollution

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), commonly called furans in the context of environmental pollutants, are a group of 135 structurally related chlorinated compounds. They are unintentionally produced during certain industrial processes and combustion activities, including waste burning and some metal-processing operations. PCDFs are environmentally persistent and can accumulate in fatty tissues and food chains. Human exposure occurs primarily through contaminated food, particularly animal-derived products such as meat, dairy, and fish. PCDFs are considered dioxin-like compounds because they share certain biological mechanisms and toxicological properties with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), although toxicity varies considerably among individual congeners. They are included among the unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants addressed under Annex C of the Stockholm Convention. Examples include 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) and other polychlorinated dibenzofuran congeners. Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are regulated under Annex C of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which requires measures to reduce their unintentional release into the environment. They are also covered under the European Union's Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, which establishes requirements for reducing releases and managing waste containing these compounds.