Nontargeted mass-spectral detection of chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates in New Jersey soils

Abstract

The toxicity and environmental persistence of anthropogenic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of global concern. To address legacy PFAS concerns in the United States, industry developed numerous replacement PFAS that commonly are treated as confidential information. To investigate the distribution of PFAS in New Jersey, soils collected from across the state were subjected to nontargeted mass-spectral analyses. Ten chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates were tentatively identified, with at least three congeners in all samples. Nine congeners are ≥(CF2)7. Distinct chemical formulas and structures, as well as geographic distribution, suggest airborne transport from an industrial source. Lighter congeners dispersed more widely than heavier congeners, with the most widely dispersed detected in an in-stock New Hampshire sample. Additional data were used to develop a legacy-PFAS fingerprint for historical PFAS sources in New Jersey.

Temporal Trends of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Delaware River Fish, USA

“…Persistent PFAS contaminants continue to be measured while fluorinated compounds used as alternatives to long‐chain PFAS are increasingly being detected in the environment (Wang et al 2013, 2015; Heydebreck et al 2015; Pan et al 2018; Washington et al 2020). Additional studies are needed in surface waters and in fish to evaluate the efficacy of regulatory and management strategies in reducing exposure and risks from PFAS to human health and aquatic dependent wildlife.…”

Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Analytical Techniques, Environmental Fate, and Health Effects

“…Untargeted analysis using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has been a key advance in detecting uncharacterized PFAS present in the environment [24][25][26][27]. The discovery of these compounds using mass spectrometry commonly involves the detection of peaks with negative mass defects resulting from the high number of F atoms present.…”

Addressing the environmental and health impacts of microplastics requires open collaboration between diverse sectors

“…For example, in 2018, the identities, quantities produced, location of production facilities, and other data for 396 new PFAS was withheld by manufacturers on the basis that such information is CBI [52]. Such confidential compounds may eventually be characterized years later using nontargeted analytical chemistry, as demonstrated by the recent discovery of a new class of chlorinated PFAS (apparently used as a substitute for other banned PFAS [53])-chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylate compounds (ClPFPECAs) [54]. Most concerning, ClPFPECAs are considered to be safe for use in polymerized nonstick cookware by the European Food Safety Authority [55]-despite their similarities to other PFAS, and a complete lack of publicly available toxicity information [56].…”