Presence and Partitioning Behavior of Polyfluorinated Iodine Alkanes in Environmental Matrices around a Fluorochemical Manufacturing Plant: Another Possible Source for Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids?

Abstract

The indistinct origins of some ubiquitous perfluorinated alkyl acids have attracted great attention in recent decades. In this present work, even-chained polyfluorinated iodides (PFIs), a group of volatile perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), including four perfluorinated iodine alkanes (FIAs) and three polyfluorinated telomer iodides (FTIs) were confirmed to be present in the environment. A wide concentration range was found for FIAs at 1.41 to 3.08 × 10 4 pg/L, and for FTIs at 1.39 to 1.32 × 10 3 pg/L in the ambient air collected around a fluorochemical manufacturing plant in Shandong province, northern China. Whereas for surface soils, most of these PFIs were below detection limits and only small amounts of analytes with higher carbon chain (such as perfluorododecyl iodide and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl iodide, 16.6-499 pg/g) could be sporadically detected. The presence of the PFIs in different environmental matrices in the investigated area and calculated vapor pressures (0.095-20.4 Torr) verify that they can be considered as volatile organic chemicals and easily be released into the atmosphere. Together with reported degradation ability and longrange transport potential, the identification of these PFIs indicates that unintentional release during the telomer reaction process might also be another route for the formation and distribution of certain polyfluorinated alcohols, aldehydes, and carboxylic acid derivatives under oxidative conditions in the environment.

Methodology for studying biotransformation of polyfluoroalkyl precursors in the environment

“…Nevertheless, radio-isotopic labeling provides a means of overcoming this by measuring positron emission from radioactive decaying chemicals. Due to low natural abundance and lasting half-life, 14 C was selected to label PFAS precursors in order to trace chemical transformations in environmental and biological trials [10,11,26,42].…”

“…Both fluorotelomer-based (FT) precursors (e.g., FTOHs and FTIs) and perfluoroalkane sulfonamido derivatives, including N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (N-EtFOSA) and N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (N-EtFOSE), were found in ambient air particles [13][14][15]. Fluorotelomer alcohols, monosubstituted and disubstituted PAPs, and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acid (FOSAA) analogues have frequently been detected in wastewater-treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, activated sludge and marine sediments [15][16][17].…”

Characterizing direct emissions of perfluoroalkyl substances from ongoing fluoropolymer production sources: A spatial trend study of Xiaoqing River, China

“…However, production of isopropyl PFOA using the telomerization process has also been reported (Kissa, 2005;Benskin et al, 2010a). Although telomerization has been widely used to produce APFO in Europe and North America in the period 2003e2015, its use in China has been fairly limited (Ruan et al, 2010;Fuxin, 2013;Wang et al, 2014a). Fluorotelomer products, some of which can degrade to PFCAs in the environment (Wallington et al, 2006;Wang et al, 2009;Butt et al, 2010), are however used in numerous consumer product applications including textile and paper treatment (Wang et al, 2014a).…”

Perfluorooctyl Iodide Stimulates Steroidogenesis in H295R Cells via a Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling Pathway

“…8−10 PFIs have also been detected in the soil and atmosphere near an industrial facility that makes fluorinated chemicals in Shandong Province (northern China). 11,12 Production of perfluorooctyl iodide [PFOI ( Figure 1)] has increased in recent years because of its great commercial value. Studies have shown that the concentration of PFOI is relatively higher in the air and soil than the concentrations of the other derivatives of PFIs.…”