Aerobic biodegradation of 2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide-based aqueous film-forming foam components produces perfluoroalkyl carboxylates.
The biodegradation of 2 common fluorotelomer surfactants used in aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylamine (FTAA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylbetaine (FTAB), was investigated over 109 d with aerobic wastewater-treatment plant (WWTP) sludge. Results show that biodegradation of 6:2 FTAA and 6:2 FTAB produces 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH), 6:2 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (FTCA), 6:2 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acid (FTUCA), 5:3 FTCA, and short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs). Additional degradation products included 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide (FTSAm), which was a major degradation product in the presence of either active or sterilized sludge, whereas 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (FTSA) production was measured with sterilized sludge only. Six additional degradation products were tentatively identified by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS) and attributed to N-dealkylation and oxidation of 6:2 FTAA. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2012-2021. © 2017 SETAC.
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lisa A
LA
D'Agostino
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Scott A
SA
Mabury
D000332:Aerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012722:Sewage; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Aerobic biodegradation; Aqueous film-forming foam; Contaminant of emerging concern; Perfluoroalkyl substance