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Short-Chain PFAS
Published in David M. Kempisty, Yun Xing, LeeAnn Racz, Perfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment, 2018
Yuan Yao, Justin Burgess, Konstantin Volchek, Carl E. Brown
Several long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have been recognized as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. They have been detected globally in the environment, biota, and humans. This has led to efforts toward the phaseout of long-chain PFAS and the development of a large number of safer alternatives, including short-chain PFAS. Although this book is mainly focused on PFAS contained in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), it should be noted that a variety of short-chain PFAS are being used in consumer products. Kotthoff et al. (2015) analyzed various consumer products and found perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) in nanosprays, outdoor textiles, carpets, gloves, paper food wrappers, ski wax, and leather. Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) was found in all of these except for gloves. Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) was found in carpets, ski wax, leather, and awning textiles, while perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) were found only in food paper, ski wax, and leather, with PFHpS also in awning textiles. 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) was found in cleaning products, nanosprays, outdoor textiles, carpets, gloves, and food paper. Since much of the PFAS research has been focused on PFOS, PFOA, and other long-chain compounds (≥C8), information on short-chain PFAS (<C8) is scattered and scarce. This chapter attempts to summarize the available information on short-chain PFAS.
Urban Sources of Micropollutants: from the Catchment to the Lake
Published in Nathalie Chèvre, Andrew Barry, Florence Bonvin, Neil Graham, Jean-Luc Loizeau, Hans-Rudolf Pfeifer, Luca Rossi, Torsten Vennemann, Micropollutants in Large Lakes, 2018
Jonas Margot, Luca Rossi, D. A. Barry
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a large family of synthetic chemicals used in many types of household products that utilise their properties for creating water-repellent, grease-repellent and dirt-repellent surfaces. They are, for instance, used in non-stick cookware (polytetrafluoroethylene - PTFE - known as Teflon®), water-proofing sprays, Gore-Tex® clothing, stain- or water-resistant textiles (clothes, carpets, tablecloths, upholstered furniture), some cosmetics (nail polish, eye make-up), floor polish and waxes, window cleaners, degreasers or paper packages for oily foodstuffs (pizza and popcorn boxes) (KemI, 2006). PFCs are a complex group of organic compounds characterised by a carbon chain in which all hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms. This characteristic makes PFCs very persistent in the environment and non-biodegradable. The PFC perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was categorised as a persistent organic pollutant in the Stockholm Convention and as a priority hazardous substance in the EU beause of its very high persistence in the environment, its bioaccumulation potential and its toxicity. Its use is now restricted in many countries and its production has decreased drastically in recent years. The PFC, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has also recently received more interest based on its toxic and eco-toxic properties and its high persistence (Post et al., 2012). PFOA and PFOS are among the most abundant PFCs observed in raw municipal wastewaters with average concentrations around 5-50 ng l−1. The sum of the concentrations of the most common PFCs is usually reported in the range of 30-150 ng l 1 (Ahrens et al., 2009; Arvaniti et al., 2012; Bossi et al., 2008; Guo et al., 2010).
Synthesis and application of cationic fluorocarbon surfactants
Published in Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 2023
Saipeng Zhang, Mingxin Zhang, Xingjiang Liu, Liuhe Wei
Because of these unique properties, fluorinated surfactants are playing an increasingly important role in firefighting foams, dispersants, pigment additives, oilfield mining, emulsifiers, and many other areas of life.[4–6] A large number of toxicity tests have been conducted on perfluorinated long-chain alkyl surfactants, and it has been found that perfluorinated long-chain alkyl surfactants are seriously toxic, and they are not easily decomposed in the environment, accumulate easily in living organisms, and are endocrine disruptors.[7] Typical perfluorinated long-chain surfactants are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which have been widely produced and used for many years.[8] Because of their polluting nature to the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and European governments have introduced a series of regulations aimed at reducing and eventually banning the production and use of perfluorinated long-chain surfactants. The Stockholm Convention classifies perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as persistent organic pollutants.[9] In view of the toxicity and environmental pollution of perfluoroalkyl long-chain surfactants, there is an urgent need to develop green and environmentally friendly fluorinated surfactants to replace these conventional long fluoroalkyl chain surfactants.[10]
Survey on the current leachate treatments of public municipal solid waste landfills and the potential impact of per- and polyfluorinatedalkyl substances in the Eastern and Northwestern United States
Published in Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 2023
Mert Gokgoz, Wuhuan Zhang, Nimna Manage, Mery Mbengue, Stephanie Bolyard, Jiannan Chen
Although there was an interim guidance document published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2021 for non-consumer products, as of the survey date, there were no regulations for PFASs concentrations in landfill leachate before discharge to the disposal facilities, nor are there regulations to manage the disposal and destruction of these molecules (EPA 2022). Some of the short-chain PFASs are considered to be potential source of contamination due to higher uptake than longer chains. Recently, EPA announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for 6 PFAS, including PFOA (MCL = 4 ppt), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS, MCL = 4 ppt), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA, hazardous index = 1), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, hazardous index = 1), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS, hazardous index = 1), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS, hazardous index = 1) (EPA 2023). These lower limits could eventually impact the leachate discharge levels upstream of WWTPs, and such change could begin that affect leachate treatment decisions by landfills and impact the costs of landfill operations.
Plant responses to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a molecular perspective
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2023
Ayesha Karamat, Rouzbeh Tehrani, Gregory D. Foster, Benoit Van Aken
The widespread production and use of PFAS have led to their release into the environment, in which they tend to accumulate due to their high stability. PFAS are today observed in virtually all compartments of the environment, even in remote areas like the Arctic regions (Ghisi et al. 2019). Due to their hydrophobicity and resistance to biodegradation, PFAS tend to bioaccumulate in living organisms, in which they exert variable toxic effects (Ghisi et al. 2019; Dickman and Aga 2022). PFAS have been found to be toxic to all living organisms, including bacteria, algae, plants, fishes, birds, and mammals (Sinclair et al. 2020). Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), one of the major PFAS found in the environment, figures on the list of compounds regulated by the United Nations Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (UNSCPOP) (Wang et al. 2017).