Kinetic analysis of aerobic biotransformation pathways of a perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) precursor in distinctly different soils
Abstract
With the phaseout of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) production in most countries and its well known recalcitrance, there is a need to quantify the potential release of PFOS from precursors previously or currently being emitted into the environment. Aerobic biodegradation of N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (EtFOSE) was monitored in two soils from Indiana, USA: an acidic forest silt loam (FRST-48, pH = 5.5) and a high pH agricultural loam (PSF-49, pH = 7.8) with similar organic carbon contents (2.4 and 2.6%) for 210 d and 180 d, respectively. At designated times, triplicate samples were sacrificed for which headspace samples were taken followed by three sequential extractions. Extracts were analyzed using HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. Measured profiles of EtFOSE degradation and generation/degradation of subsequent metabolites were fitted to the Indiana soils data as well as to a previously published data set for a Canadian soil using an R-based model (KinGUII) to explore pathways and estimate half-lives (t 1/2) for EtFOSE and metabolites. EtFOSE degradation ranged from a few days to up to a month. PFOS yields ranged form 1.06-5.49 mol% with the alkaline soils being four to five times higher than the acidic soil. In addition, a direct pathway to PFOS had to be invoked to describe the early generation of PFOS in the Canadian soil. Of all metabolites, the sulfonamidoacetic acids were the most persistent (t 1/2 ≥ 3 months) in all soils. We hypothesized that while pH-pK a dependent speciation may have impacted rates, differences in microbial communities between the 3 soils arising from varied soil properties including pH, nutrient levels, soil management, and climatic regions are likely the major factors affecting pathways, rates, and PFOS yields.
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The same degradation metabolites were also confirmed in two Indiana soils in an aerobic system.
“The same degradation metabolites were also confirmed in two Indiana soils in an aerobic system (Zhang et al., 2017).”
From A review of microbial degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Biotransformation routes and enzymes (2023) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2017
Biodegradation of EtFOSE in soil was reported to be four - five times higher in alkaline soil (pH = 7.8) compared to acidic soil (pH = 5.5).
“Biodegradation of EtFOSE in soil was reported to be four – five times higher in alkaline soil (pH = 7.8) compared to acidic soil (pH = 5.5) (Zhang et al., 2017).”
From A review of microbial degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Biotransformation routes and enzymes (2023) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2017
Another cause of inconsistent location for maximum PFAA concentrations within the top 3 m in the subsurface, where conditions are likely more oxic, could be enhanced transformation of polyfluorinated precursors by microbial communities.
“Another cause of an inconsistent location for maximum PFAA concentrations within the top 3 m in the subsurface, where conditions are likely more oxic, could be enhanced transformation of polyfluorinated precursors by microbial communities (Dasu et al., 2013;Hamid et al., 2020;Zhang et al., 2017).”
From Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Significant transport pathways in surface runoff, surface waters, and subsurface soils (2021) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2017
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“Technical grade EtFOSE (92%, CAS# 1691-99-2) was obtained from Conier Chem & Pharma Ltd. (Chongqing, China) with the major impurity identified as EtFOSA (7%, CAS# 4151-50-2).”
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- Authors
- Zhang, L., Lee, L. S., Niu, J., & Liu, J.
- Affiliations
- Chongqing University (CN)
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- Beijing Normal University (CN)
- McGill University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Zhang, Lilan
- Lee, Linda S.
- Venue
- Environmental Pollution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 229
- Pages
- 159-167
- ISSN
- 0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2620667449
- Cited by
- 69
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 1.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (41603109)
- Purdue University
- Beijing Normal University
- China Scholarship Council
- 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 › Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies
- Keywords
- PFOS, aerobic biodegradation, soil microbial communities, degradation kinetics, half-life, soil pH, soil organic carbon
- MeSH terms
- Biodegradation, Environmental, Biotransformation, Canada, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Fluorocarbons, Half-Life, Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated, Indiana, Kinetics, Soil, Soil Pollutants, Sulfonamides, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Forests
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