Decades-Scale Degradation of Commercial, Side-Chain, Fluorotelomer-Based Polymers in Soils and Water

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• 作者：John W. Washington ; Thomas M. Jenkins ; Keegan Rankin ; Jonathan E. Naile
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：January 20, 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：49
• 期：2
• 页码：915-923
• 全文大小：283K
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

Fluorotelomer-based polymers (FTPs) are the primary product of the fluorotelomer industry. Here we report on a 376-day study of the degradability of two commercial acrylate-linked FTPs in four saturated soils and in water. Using an exhaustive serial extraction, we report GC/MS and LC/MS/MS results for 50 species including fluorotelomer alcohols and acids, and perfluorocarboxylates. Modeling of seven sampling rounds, each consisting of 鈮? replicate microcosm treatments, for one commercial FTP in one soil yielded half-life estimates of 65鈥?12 years and, when the other commercial FTP and soils were evaluated, the estimated half-lives ranged from 33 to 112 years. Experimental controls, consisting of commercial FTP in water, degraded roughly at the same rate as in soil. A follow-up experiment, with commercial FTP in pH 10 water, degraded roughly 10-fold faster than the circum-neutral control suggesting that commercial FTPs can undergo OHp>鈥?/sup>-mediated hydrolysis. 8:2Fluorotelomer alcohol generated from FTP degradation in soil was more stable than without FTP present suggesting a clathrate guest鈥揾ost association with the FTP. To our knowledge, these are the only degradability-test results for commercial FTPs that have been generated using exhaustive extraction procedures. They unambiguously show that commercial FTPs, the primary product of the fluorotelomer industry, are a source of fluorotelomer and perfluorinated compounds to the environment.