R5 AM Perflourochemical Biodegradation, Fate, and Transport
Thursday, 17 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 321-323

(BUC-1117-824039) What is the Environmental Fate of 8-2 Fluorotelomer Alcohol? Facts & Myths.

BUCK, R¹, KORZENIOWSKI, S¹, WATERLAND, R², WANG, N², BERTI, W², GANNON, J², SZOSTEK, B³, POWLEY, C³, KAISER, M², ¹ DUPONT CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS ENTERPRISE, WILMINGTON, DE, USA² DUPONT CENTRAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, WILMINGTON, DE, USA³ DUPONT HASKELL LABORATORY, NEWARK, DE, USA

ABSTRACT- Fluorotelomer alcohols [F(CF₂CF₂)_nCH₂CH₂OH; FTOHs] are a raw material used in the manufacture of fluorotelomer-based surfactant and polymeric products. FTOHs are present as residual raw materials in products at low levels, tenths of a percent or less. In addition, FTOHs are expected to be a product from degradation of products should that occur. They have been the focus of much scientific investigation to understand their physical-chemical properties as well as their environmental fate. The most widely studied FTOH is 8-2 FTOH (n=4). While it has been portrayed that 8-2 FTOH degrades exclusively to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the environment, the scientific facts suggest otherwise. This paper will review existing data as well as summarize the latest studies to investigate the abiotic and biotic degradation of 8-2 FTOH in the atmosphere, sludge, soil and mammals. The results from recently completed studies in these matrices show that PFOA is generally only a minor transformation product from degradation of 8-2 FTOH. Integral to fate investigations are physical-chemical and partitioning properties. The implications of recent measurements will be interwoven into the presentation.

Key words: fluorotelomer, fate, degradation