Biotransformation of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) by a wood-rotting fungus
Abstract
Biotransformation of 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH] by the white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, was investigated in laboratory studies. 6:2 FTOH is a raw material increasingly being used to replace products that can lead to long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs, ≥ 8 carbons). During a product's life cycle and after final disposal, 6:2 FTOH-derived compounds may be released into the environment and potentially biotransformed. In this study, P. chrysosporium transformed 6:2 FTOH to perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), polyfluorocarboxylic acids, and transient intermediates within 28 days. 5:3 Acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH] was the most abundant transformation product, accounting for 32-43 mol % of initially applied 6:2 FTOH in cultures supplemented with lignocellulosic powder, yeast extract, cellulose, and glucose. PFCAs, including perfluoropentanoic (PFPeA) and perfluorohexanoic (PFHxA) acids, accounted for 5.9 mol % after 28-day incubation. Furthermore, four new transformation products as 6:2 FTOH conjugates or 5:3 acid analogues were structurally confirmed. These results demonstrate that P. chrysosporium has the necessary biochemical mechanisms to drive 6:2 FTOH biotransformation pathways toward more degradable polyfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids, such as 5:3 acid, with lower PFCA yields compared to aerobic soil, sludge, and microbial consortia. Since bacteria and fungi appear to contribute differently toward the environmental loading of FTOH-derived PFCAs and polyfluo…
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A number of 6:2 FTOH-degrading strains have been screened, enriched, and domesticated, including Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5, Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 8341, Pseudomonas oleovorans, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Pseudomonas butanovora.
“Currently, a number of 6:2 FTOH-degrading strains have been screened, enriched, and domesticated, including Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5, Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 8341, Pseudomonas oleovorans, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Pseudomonas butanovora (Kim et al., 2012; Lewis et al., 2016; Tseng et al., 2014).”
From Biotransformation of perfluoroalkyl acid precursors from various environmental systems: advances and perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as Tseng et al., 2014
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- Authors
- Tseng, N., Wang, N., Szostek, B., & Mahendra, S.
- Affiliations
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- DuPont (United States) (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mahendra, Shaily
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2014-03-14
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 4012-4020
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2316652906
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 2.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Air Force Civil Engineer Center
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Environmental Chemistry and Analysis
- Keywords
- Phanerochaete chrysosporium, white-rot fungi, biotransformation, perfluorocarboxylic acids, fungal degradation, bioremediation, groundwater contamination, wastewater pollution, degradation intermediates
- MeSH terms
- Bacteria, Biodegradation, Environmental, Biotransformation, Carboxylic Acids, Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated, Reference Standards, Mass Spectrometry, Wood, Phanerochaete
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