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Emerging Chlorinated Polyfluorinated Polyether Compounds Impacting the Waters of Southwestern New Jersey Identified by Use of Nontargeted Analysis
Citation:
McCord, J., M. Strynar, J. Washington, E. Bergman, AND S. Goodrow. Emerging Chlorinated Polyfluorinated Polyether Compounds Impacting the Waters of Southwestern New Jersey Identified by Use of Nontargeted Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology Letters. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 7(12):903-908, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00640
Impact/Purpose:
The overall objectives of this project included a confirmation of ongoing surface and groundwater contamination from current and historical source discharges in NJ, establishing specific PFAS source signatures originating from different industrial sites, and identification of new PFAS using advanced analytical techniques. Non-targeted analysis was applied to water samples collected in southern New Jersey, revealing the existence of a series of novel chlorinated polyfluorinated ether acids and related PFAS species originating from an industrial PFAS manufacturer in the region. Concentrations in ground water were established using PFNA as a spike-in reference and estimates exceeded the state health targets for PFOA/PFNA. 1. Non-targeted analysis was also used to estimate the effectiveness of traditional activated carbon point-of-entry water treatment systems for removal of the emerging species, which was found to reduce the abundance of PFAS species identified in the sampling by >90%. 1. NJ DEP is currently undertaking legal action against Solvay for PFAS releases in the region, acquiring authentic standards for accurate quantification, and requesting toxicity testing information on the discovered species. This research is of significant relevance to the state of NJ and to the affected local communities.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a widespread, environmentally persistent class of anthropogenic chemicals that are widely used in industrial and consumer products and frequently detected in environmental media. Concerns over potential human health impacts from long-term exposure to legacy PFAS (long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids) resulted in the use of PFAS with alternative structures. Nontargeted environmental monitoring has been crucial in identifying the existence and transport of emerging PFAS in environmental media. Previous work in an industrially impacted region of southwestern New Jersey has shown consistently elevated levels of legacy PFAS, motivating additional examination by nontargeted mass spectrometry to identify emerging PFAS contamination. This study applied nontargeted analysis to water samples collected in Gloucester and Salem counties in southwestern New Jersey, revealing the existence of a series of chloro-perfluoro-polyether carboxylates and related PFAS species, believed to originate from a regional, industrial PFAS user. There is sparse publicly available toxicity information for the emerging chemical species, but estimated concentrations exceeded the state drinking water standards for perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorononanoic acid. Nontargeted analysis was used to estimate the effectiveness of point-of-entry water treatment systems for removal of the emerging species and reduced the abundance of PFAS by >90%.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Emerging Chlorinated Polyfluorinated Polyether Compounds Impacting the Waters of Southwestern New Jersey Identified by Use of Nontargeted Analysis