Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Occurrence and Behavior of Perfluorinated Surfactants in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems
EPA Grant Number: R829025Title: Occurrence and Behavior of Perfluorinated Surfactants in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems
Investigators: Field, Jennifer , Barofsky, Douglas
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2001 through August 31, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2001 through August 31, 2002
Project Amount: $342,764
RFA: Exploratory Research to Anticipate Future Environmental Issues (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to develop liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analytical techniques for the detection and quantitation of perfluorocarboxylate and perfluoroalkylsulfonate surfactants and related chemicals in wastewater and sludge. The developed methods will then be applied for the purpose of determining the potential for fluoroalkylsulfonamide transformation during wastewater treatment and to determine the mass flows of several classes of fluorochemicals during municipal wastewater treatment.
Progress Summary:
We have made significant progress toward completing our goal for Year 1 of the project. The goal was to modify analytical methodology based on liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the quantitative determination of perfluoroalkylsulfonates, carboxylates, and telomer sulfonates in aqueous environmental samples. For the purposes of method validation, we currently are completing a survey of these chemical classes in groundwater from a military base. Application of LC/MS/MS to groundwater contaminated with firefighting chemicals confirmed previous identifications of perfluoroalkylsulfonates and carboxylates, which is one critical step toward validating the LC/MS/MS methodology. Moreover, telomer sulfonates were identified for the first time in groundwater and perhaps for any environmental sample. With this finding, we clearly established that telomer sulfonates should not be used as surrogate or internal standards for environmental analyses of fluorochemicals. In Year 1 of the project, we have shown that LC/MS/MS can be used for the detection of fluoroalkylsulfonamide chemicals and current work focuses on verifying quantitative capacity for the fluoroalkylsulfonamide chemicals.
Future Activities:
Activities in Year 2 of the project will focus on the application of the methods developed for perfluoroalkylsulfonates, carboxylates, and telomer sulfonates developed in Year 1 to samples of municipal wastewater. In Year 2, we also will focus on finalizing the LC/MS/MS methodology for the determination of fluoroalkylsulfonamide and its application to aqueous samples. In addition, we will focus on developing methods for the quantitative analyses of perfluoroalkylsulfonates, carboxylates, and sulfonamide surfactants in municipal sludges.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 12 publications | 3 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Moody CA, Hebert GN, Strauss SH, Field JA. Occurrence and persistence of perfluorooctanesulfonate and other perfluorinated surfactants in groundwater at a fire-training area at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, USA. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 2003;5(2):341-345. |
R829025 (2002) |
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Schultz MM, Barofsky DF, Field JA. Fluorinated alkyl surfactants. Environmental Engineering Science 2003;20(5):487-501. |
R829025 (2002) R829025 (2003) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
fluorochemicals, fluorosurfactants, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, groundwater, wastewater, municipal sludge, perfluoroalkylsulfonates, perfluoroalkylcarboxylates, perfluoroalkylsulfonamides., Scientific Discipline, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Water, Water Pollution Control, Environmental Chemistry, Wastewater, Environmental Engineering, municipal wastewater treatment, liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry, sewage treatment plants, aqueous waste stream, chemical contaminants, perfluorinated surfactants, wastewater remediation, sludge treatment, wastewater treatment, municiple wastewater sludgeProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.