Citation:

Davis, M., C. Rosal, W. Henderson, B. Acrey, R. Zepp, AND J. Washington. Tentative identification of new-generation per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in industrial products. SETAC NA Focus Meeting: Environmental Risk Assessment of PFAS, Durham, NC, August 12 - 15, 2019.

Impact/Purpose:

Poster presented at the SETAC Focused Topic Meeting: Environmental Risk Assessment of PFAS

Description:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as a major threat to human health and the environment, with trace amounts being found in even the most isolated ecosystems across the globe. Properly identifying and classifying these substances is essential for determining their fate in the environment and their toxicity to humans and ecosystems. However, the rapid development and employment of new PFAS chemistries in industrial processes and products has made this task an increasingly significant challenge. Here, we examined the composition and fate of 13 industrial dispersions and surfactants. Non-targeted analysis of samples was conducted using high mass-resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to tentatively identify new-generation PFAS as well as non-fluorinated additives. Targeted analysis via conventional mass-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to screen for suspected compounds, providing a more complete compositional analysis. In tentatively identifying new PFAS being employed by the chemical industry and studying their environmental fate, we provide further insight into which compounds should be targeted in remediation efforts.

URLs/Downloads:

Record Details: