The environmental photolysis of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorooctanoate, and related fluorochemicals

► Perfluorochemicals can undergo photolysis in the natural environment. ► Photolysis of perfluorochemicals leads to the formation of short chain compounds. ► Long chain perfluorinated acids are more amenable for photolysis than short chain acids. ► This is the first evidence to document that perfluorinated acids do undergo photolysis in the natural environment.