6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate aerobic biotransformation in activated sludge of waste water treatment plants.
The aerobic biotransformation of 6:2 FTS salt [F(CF2)6CH2CH2SO3- K+] was determined in closed bottles for 90d in diluted activated sludge from three waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) to compare its biotransformation potential with that of 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH]. The 6:2 FTS biotransformation was relatively slow, with 63.7% remaining at day 90 and all observed transformation products together accounting for 6.3% of the initial 6:2 FTS applied. The overall mass balance (6:2 FTS plus observed transformation products) at day 90 in live and sterile treatments averaged 70% and 94%, respectively. At day 90, the stable transformation products observed were 5:3 acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH, 0.12%], PFBA [F(CF2)3COOH, 0.14%], PFPeA [F(CF2)4COOH, 1.5%], and PFHxA [F(CF2)5COOH 1.1%]. In addition, 5:2 ketone [F(CF2)5C(O)CH3] and 5:2 sFTOH [F(CF2)5CH(OH)CH3] together accounted for 3.4% at day 90. The yield of all the stable transformation products noted above (2.9%) was 19 times lower than that of 6:2 FTOH in aerobic soil. Thus 6:2 FTS is not likely to be a major source of PFCAs and polyfluorinated acids in WWTPs. 6:2 FTOH, 6:2 FTA [F(CF2)6CH2COOH], and PFHpA [F(CF2)6COOH] were not observed during the 90-d incubation. 6:2 FTS primary biotransformation bypassed 6:2 FTOH to form 6:2 FTUA [F(CF2)5CF=CHCOOH], which was subsequently degraded via pathways similar to 6:2 FTOH biotransformation. A substantial fraction of initially dosed 6:2 FTS (24%) may be irreversibly bound to diluted activated sludge catalyzed by microbial enzymes. The relatively slow 6:2 FTS degradation in activated sludge may be due to microbial aerobic de-sulfonation of 6:2 FTS, required for 6:2 FTS further biotransformation, being a rate-limiting step in microorganisms of activated sludge in WWTPs.
E.I. du Pont De Nemours, Co., Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA. ning.wang@usa.dupont.com
Ning
N
Wang
Jinxia
J
Liu
Robert C
RC
Buck
Stephen H
SH
Korzeniowski
Barry W
BW
Wolstenholme
Patrick W
PW
Folsom
Lisa M
LM
Sulecki
D000332:Aerobiosis; D000476:Alkanesulfonates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism; D001711:Biotransformation; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D000476:Alkanesulfonates; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical