Cited by 333Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchEnvironmental Chemistry and AnalysisPharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts

6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate aerobic biotransformation in activated sludge of waste water treatment plants

Wang, Ning, Liu, Jinxia, Buck, Robert C., Korzeniowski, Stephen H, Wolstenholme, Barry W., Folsom, Patrick W., Sulecki, Lisa M.·2011·Chemosphere

Abstract

The aerobic biotransformation of 6:2 FTS salt [F(CF2)6CH2CH2SO3- K+] was determined in closed bottles for 90d in diluted activated sludge from three waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) to compare its biotransformation potential with that of 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH]. The 6:2 FTS biotransformation was relatively slow, with 63.7% remaining at day 90 and all observed transformation products together accounting for 6.3% of the initial 6:2 FTS applied. The overall mass balance (6:2 FTS plus observed transformation products) at day 90 in live and sterile treatments averaged 70% and 94%, respectively. At day 90, the stable transformation products observed were 5:3 acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH, 0.12%], PFBA [F(CF2)3COOH, 0.14%], PFPeA [F(CF2)4COOH, 1.5%], and PFHxA [F(CF2)5COOH 1.1%]. In addition, 5:2 ketone [F(CF2)5C(O)CH3] and 5:2 sFTOH [F(CF2)5CH(OH)CH3] together accounted for 3.4% at day 90. The yield of all the stable transformation products noted above (2.9%) was 19 times lower than that of 6:2 FTOH in aerobic soil. Thus 6:2 FTS is not likely to be a major source of PFCAs and polyfluorinated acids in WWTPs. 6:2 FTOH, 6:2 FTA [F(CF2)6CH2COOH], and PFHpA [F(CF2)6COOH] were not observed during the 90-d incubation. 6:2 FTS primary biotransformation bypassed 6:2 FTOH to form 6:2 FTUA [F(CF2)5CF=CHCOOH], which was subsequently degraded via pathways similar to 6:2 FTOH biotransformation. A substantial fraction of initially dosed 6:2 FTS (24%) may be irreversibly bound to diluted activated sludge catalyzed by microbial enzymes. The relatively slow 6:2 FTS degradation in activated sludge may be due to microbial aerobic de-sulfonation of 6:2 FTS, required for 6:2 FTS further biotransformation, being a rate-limiting step in microorganisms of activated sludge in WWTPs.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.11.003

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Authors
Wang, N., Liu, J., Buck, R. C., Korzeniowski, S. H., Wolstenholme, B. W., Folsom, P. W., & Sulecki, L. M.
Affiliations
DuPont (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Wang, Ning
Venue
Chemosphere
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-02
Volume
82
Issue
6
Pages
853-858
ISSN
0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2115951227
Cited by
333
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 31 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 5
FWCI
7.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Chemosphere (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Environmental Chemistry and Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
Keywords
6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, aerobic biotransformation, activated sludge, wastewater treatment plants, perfluorinated carboxylic acids, perfluoroalkyl acids, degradation intermediates, perfluorobutanoic acid, PFPeA, perfluorohexanoic acid, fluorotelomer carboxylic acids, mass balance
MeSH terms
Aerobiosis, Alkanesulfonates, Bacteria, Aerobic, Biotransformation, Chromatography, Liquid, Sewage, Waste Disposal, Fluid, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Tandem Mass Spectrometry

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