Aqueous Leaching of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS from (Fluoro)polymers: Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis

作者：Shira Joudan, Jeremy R. Gauthier, Scott A. Mabury, Cora J. Young · 发表于：Environmental Science & Technology Letters · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00797 · 被引用次数：46 · 研究领域：Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research、Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact、Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols

Fluoropolymers are a class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) defined as high molecular weight plastics containing only carbon-based backbones with F atoms directly attached. Here, we used targeted and nontargeted analytical methods to quantify the aqueous leaching of small-molecule PFAS from three types of fluoropolymer tubing material and three types of nonfluorinated polymer tubing material. C 2 –C 4 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were quantified with ion chromatography–mass spectrometry, and C 4 –C 9 PFCAs were quantified with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A new 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method with lower detection limits provided an unbiased, nontargeted view of all fluorinated chemicals in the aqueous leachate. C 2 –C 4 PFCAs had a higher concentration than longer-chain PFCAs. All tubing tested, including the nonfluorinated polymers, contained trifluoroacetic acid (C 2 PFCA) concentrations above the blank. NMR identified additional fluorinated chemicals, especially in the nonfluorinated PEEK, a common replacement for fluoropolymers in laboratory chromatography systems. Overall, each fluoropolymer tested had different fingerprints of C 2 –C 4 PFCAs, which may be related to their synthetic production such as processing aids, residuals, and inhibitors used; fluorinated chemicals were also identified from nonfluorinated polymers. The outcome of this work informs better trace analysis in the laboratory and presents an indicat...