Multi‐Scalar Framework for Confronting PFAS in India: Integrating Environmental Surveillance, Industrial Accountability, and Policy Action

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are enduring organic nonbiodegradable contaminants with widespread occurrence and exceptional environmental stability. Although PFAS have been studied for decades, substantial obstacles persist in confronting their worldwide pollution and related effects on environmental health and quality. India is one of the most populous countries and presently lacks environmental quality standards or specific directives for managing these substances. Studies on the occurrence and harmful effects of PFAS in India are limited, emphasizing the critical need for multi‐scalar investigations to identify these emerging contaminants across various environmental matrices. The absence of established regulations for the use and control of PFAS in India represents a significant gap. The distribution of PFAS in key environmental matrices such as the atmosphere, water, biota, and humans is mapped along with suspected sources. The developed industrial PFAS web and other sources including urban development, and the use of consumer products show their roles in environmental challenges. A core contribution of study is to decipher the suspected sources of PFAS contamination, considering the potential of industrial practices, and to lay out a roadmap for India by integrating scientific findings with industrial practices and policy frameworks to support future research and policy direction.