The use of organofluorine compounds has increased throughout this century, and they are now ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Although generally viewed as recalcitrant because of their lack of chemical reactivity, many fluorinated organics are biologically active. Several questions surround their distribution, fate, and effects. Of particular interest is the fate of perfluoroalkyl substituents, such as the trifluoromethyl group. Most evidence to date suggest that such groups resist defluorination, yet they can confer significant biological activity. Certain volatile fluorinated compounds can be oxidized in the troposphere yielding nonvolatile compounds, such as trifluoroacetic acid. In addition, certain nonvolatile fluorinated compounds can be transformed in the biosphere to volatile compounds. Research is needed to assess the fate and effects of nonvolatile fluorinated organics, the fluorinated impurities present in commercial formulations, and the transformation products generated by biochemical processes and/or oxidation in the troposphere.

Little is known of the potential for biodegradation of fluorinated sulfonates. To evaluate this potential, the following model compounds were selected: difluoromethane sulfonate (DFMS), trifluoromethane sulfonate (TFMS), 2,2,2trifluoroethane sulfonate (TES), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctane sulfonate (H-PFOS). A laboratory isolate designated Pseudomonas sp. strain D2 completely defluorinated DFMS under aerobic, sulfurlimiting conditions in a defined mineral medium. Strain D2 utilized DFMS as the sole source of sulfur, but not as a source of carbon or energy. DFMS utilization was inhibited by other forms of sulfur, and noncompetitive inhibition kinetics were observed, with K i values of 3-4 µM for sulfate, sulfite, methane sulfonate, and cystine. Strain D2 was subsequently used to evaluate degradation of other fluorinated sulfonates. Growth and defluorination were only observed for those compounds containing hydrogen (TES and H-PFOS). TFMS and PFOS were not degraded. TES was completely defluorinated, and H-PFOS was partially defluorinated. No volatile transformation products were detected for TES or DFMS, but six volatile products were detected for H-PFOS. All of the volatile products contained oxygen and fluorine, but not sulfur. This is the first report of defluorination of fluorinated sulfonates, a linkage between sulfur assimilation and defluorination, and generation of volatile fluorinated biotransformation products.