title: Biotransformation of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) by a wood-rotting fungus.
abstract: Biotransformation of 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH] by the white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, was investigated in laboratory studies. 6:2 FTOH is a raw material increasingly being used to replace products that can lead to long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs, ≥ 8 carbons). During a product's life cycle and after final disposal, 6:2 FTOH-derived compounds may be released into the environment and potentially biotransformed. In this study, P. chrysosporium transformed 6:2 FTOH to perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), polyfluorocarboxylic acids, and transient intermediates within 28 days. 5:3 Acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH] was the most abundant transformation product, accounting for 32-43 mol % of initially applied 6:2 FTOH in cultures supplemented with lignocellulosic powder, yeast extract, cellulose, and glucose. PFCAs, including perfluoropentanoic (PFPeA) and perfluorohexanoic (PFHxA) acids, accounted for 5.9 mol % after 28-day incubation. Furthermore, four new transformation products as 6:2 FTOH conjugates or 5:3 acid analogues were structurally confirmed. These results demonstrate that P. chrysosporium has the necessary biochemical mechanisms to drive 6:2 FTOH biotransformation pathways toward more degradable polyfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids, such as 5:3 acid, with lower PFCA yields compared to aerobic soil, sludge, and microbial consortia. Since bacteria and fungi appear to contribute differently toward the environmental loading of FTOH-derived PFCAs and polyfluorocarboxylic acids, wood-rotting fungi should be evaluated as potential candidates for the bioremediation of wastewater and groundwater contaminated with fluoroalkyl substances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California , Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szostek
authors.forename: Shaily
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahendra
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001711:Biotransformation; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D020075:Phanerochaete / Q000378:metabolism*; D012015:Reference Standards; D014934:Wood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated