BUFFALO, N.Y. — One of the ways that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) earn their “forever chemical” nickname and persist in the environment is their acidity. Many of these toxic chemicals ...

The acid dissociation constant, K a, and its negative decadic log, pK a, are key life sciences parameters that describe molecular acidity. Specifically, these values indicate the protonation state of ...

COOH) represents the protonated form of the organic acid, whereas lactate (CH₃CH (OH)COO⁻) represents its conjugated base.

An illustration of a PFAS breakdown product in its negatively charged and neutral forms, depicted in a dynamic back-and-forth between these states. The accompanying chart illustrates a plot that ...