Aqueous Leaching of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS from (Fluoro)polymers: Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis
| dc.contributor.author | Joudan, Shira | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gauthier, Jeremy | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mabury, Scott A. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Young, Cora | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-03-05T18:35:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-03-05T18:35:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-02-19 | |
| dc.description | This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, copyright © 2024 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Fluoropolymers are a class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) defined as high molecular weight plastics containing only carbon-based backbones with F atoms directly attached. Here, we used targeted and nontargeted analytical methods to quantify the aqueous leaching of small-molecule PFAS from three types of fluoropolymer tubing material and three types of nonfluorinated polymer tubing material. C2–C4 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were quantified with ion chromatography–mass spectrometry, and C4–C9 PFCAs were quantified with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A new 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method with lower detection limits provided an unbiased, nontargeted view of all fluorinated chemicals in the aqueous leachate. C2–C4 PFCAs had a higher concentration than longer-chain PFCAs. All tubing tested, including the nonfluorinated polymers, contained trifluoroacetic acid (C2 PFCA) concentrations above the blank. NMR identified additional fluorinated chemicals, especially in the nonfluorinated PEEK, a common replacement for fluoropolymers in laboratory chromatography systems. Overall, each fluoropolymer tested had different fingerprints of C2–C4 PFCAs, which may be related to their synthetic production such as processing aids, residuals, and inhibitors used; fluorinated chemicals were also identified from nonfluorinated polymers. The outcome of this work informs better trace analysis in the laboratory and presents an indication of how fluoropolymers and other plastics can be an emission source to the environment. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Funding for this research was provided by NSERC Discovery Grants to C.J.Y. and S.A.M. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Joudan, S.; Gauthier, J.; Mabury, S. A.; & Young, C. J. Aqueous Leaching of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS from (Fluoro)polymers: Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2024, 11(3), 237–242. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00797 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2328-8930 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00797 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42657 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Amerian Chemical Society | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Fluoropolymers | |
| dc.subject | PFAS | |
| dc.subject | Aqueous environment | |
| dc.subject | Lab artifacts | |
| dc.subject | Ion chromatography | |
| dc.subject | Nuclear magnetic resonance | |
| dc.title | Aqueous Leaching of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS from (Fluoro)polymers: Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis | |
| dc.type | Article |