title: Identification of Novel Polyfluorinated Ether Sulfonates as PFOS Alternatives in Municipal Sewage Sludge in China.
abstract: A 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFAES) with the trade name F-53B, is an alternative to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in electroplating industry that is uniquely used in China. It was developed as a mist suppressant initially in the 1970s, but the environmental behaviors and potential adverse effects of the 6:2 Cl-PFAES have only recently been investigated. In this work, the occurrence and distribution of perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFSA), fluorotelomer sulfonate (FTSA), and PFAES analogues were investigated in municipal sewage sludge samples collected around China. Perfluorobutane, perfluorohexane, perfluorooctane, and perfluorodecanesulfonates, 6:2 and 8:2 FTSAs, and the emerging 6:2 Cl-PFAES were detected. Moreover, 8:2 and 10:2 Cl-PFAESs were identified for the first time as new polyfluorinated contaminants using high resolution mass spectrometry. These fluorinated analytes were further quantified with the aid of commercial and laboratory-purified standards. PFOS was the predominant contaminant with a geometric mean (GM) value of 3.19 ng/g dry weight (d.w.), which was subsequently followed by 6:2 Cl-PFAES and 8:2 Cl-PFAES (GM: 2.15 and 0.50 ng/g d.w., respectively). Both 6:2 and 8:2 Cl-PFAES were positively detected as the major components in the F-53B commercial product, and discrete 6:2 Cl-PFAES/8:2 Cl-PFAES ratios in the product and sludge samples might suggest 8:2 Cl-PFAES had enhanced sorption behavior in the sludge due to the increase in hydrophobicity.
authors.affiliation: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.affiliation: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Yongfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: ‡Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, Örebro University, 702 81 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thanh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Runzeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Guibin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004777:Environment; D004986:Ether / Q000032:analysis*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004986:Ether; C073608:perfluorooctane; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; C078626:perflexane; C108042:perfluorobutane