title: Aerobic soil biotransformation of 6:2 fluorotelomer iodide.
abstract: 6:2 FTI [F(CF2)6CH2CH2I] is a principal industrial raw material used to manufacture 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH] and 6:2 FTOH-based products and could enter aerobic environments from possible industrial emissions where it is manufactured. This is the first study to assess 6:2 FTI aerobic soil biotransformation, quantify transformation products, and elucidate its biotransformation pathways. 6:2 FTI biotransformation led to 6:2 FTOH as a key intermediate, which was subsequently biotransformed to other significant transformation products, including PFPeA [F(CF2)4COOH, 20 mol % at day 91], 5:3 acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH, 16 mol %], PFHxA [F(CF2)5COOH, 3.8 mol %], and 4:3 acid [F(CF2)4CH2CH2COOH, 3.0 mol %]. 6:2 FTI biotransformation also led to a significant level of PFHpA [F(CF2)6COOH, 16 mol % at day 91], perhaps via another putative intermediate, 6:2 FTUI [F(CF2)6CH ═ CHI], whose molecular identity and further biotransformation were not verified because of the lack of an authentic standard. Total recovery of the aforementioned per- and polyfluorocarboxylates accounted for 59 mol % of initially applied 6:2 FTI by day 91, in comparison to 56 mol % when soil was dosed with 6:2 FTOH, which did not lead to PFHpA. Thus, were 6:2 FTI to be released from its manufacture and undergo soil microbial biotransformation, it could form PFPeA, PFHpA, PFHxA, 5:3 acid, and 4:3 acid in the environment.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Post Office Box 2871, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szostek
authors.forename: Patrick W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Folsom
authors.forename: Barry W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Wolstenholme
authors.forename: Runzeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guibin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Buck
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001711:Biotransformation; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D006847:Hydrocarbons, Iodinated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006847:Hydrocarbons, Iodinated; D012987:Soil; D010100:Oxygen