Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has allocated funding for three pioneering projects dedicated to understanding the health effects associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The three projects were selected by the PFAS Research Steering Committee from a pool of 14 submissions received by the MOE following a call for proposals from 26 December 2023 to 5 February 2024.

Under the overarching theme of Comprehensive Research on PFAS, the selected projects are as follows:

1. Hyogo Medical University: This project aims to conduct experimental validation to shed light on the immunosuppressive and immune-promoting effects of PFAS in the context of immunological diseases.
2. National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS): Focused on innovation, this project endeavors to develop a hazard assessment methodology grounded in gene expression analysis. Such an approach seeks to facilitate prioritization and holistic evaluation in the context of PFAS regulation.
3. Hokkaido University: Embarking on a multidimensional exploration, this comprehensive initiative aims to elucidate the health effects of PFASs, taking into account toxicological impacts, mechanisms of toxicity development and interspecies variations. This integrated study merges environmental epidemiology and toxicology to provide a deeper understanding of the subject matter.