title: Formation of PFOA from 8:2 FTOH in closed-bottle experiments with brackish water.
abstract: The formation of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) from 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanol (8:2 FTOH) was studied for the first time in laboratory experiments with brackish water. The water samples were collected from the Baltic Sea, which is one of the largest brackish water areas in the world and is polluted with PFOA and other perfluorinated compounds. The formation of PFOA was studied in closed-bottle experiments at different water temperatures. As a reference experiment, a modified OECD 310 test was conducted with sludge from a wastewater treatment plant and with brackish water. The PFOA and 8:2 FTOH were concentrated from water samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The effect of oxygen concentration on the formation of PFOA was studied using surface water samples with high and low oxygen contents. Other experiments were performed with oxygen-rich surface water and oxygen-deficient bottom water. The formation of PFOA was observed in all experiments; it was higher in the trial performed with brackish water than in the reference test carried out with sludge. Clear temperature dependence was observed in the formation of PFOA in brackish water tests; after a 30-day test period, a sixfold increase was observed in the amount of PFOA in surface water between the temperatures of 15 and 20 °C. Microbes were suggested as the major cause of the formation of PFOA, but other environmental characteristics, such as oxygen, could also affect the formation potential of PFOA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland, jpo.keranen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keränen
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahkola
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knuutinen
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herve
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinikainen
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koistinen
mesh_terms: D001454:Baltic States; D002210:Caprylates / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction
chemical_list: D002210:Caprylates; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012722:Sewage; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid