W5 AM Perfluorochemical Monitoring
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 321-323

(BUC-1117-829121) Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids (PFCAs) : Sources, Emissions, Environmental Transport and Sinks.

KORZENIOWSKI, S¹, BUCK, R¹, COUSINS, I², PREVEDOUROS, C², ¹ DUPONT CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS ENTERPRISE, WILMINGTON, D, USA² STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY, DEPT. OF APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (ITM), STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

ABSTRACT- Perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFASs) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) are of scientific and regulatory interest because they have been found to occur globally in a wide array of environmental samples including biota. While the sources of PFASs are known, the sources of PFCAs in the environment and their overall fate and transport properties are not understood or documented. This paper will describe the direct sources of PFCAs produced as industrial chemicals as well as indirect sources arising from transformation of potential precursor substances such as fluorotelomer and perfluorosulfonamide alcohols and fluorotelomer olefins. PFCAs have been directly used since the 1950s as processing aids in the manufacture of fluoropolymers as well as in consumer and industrial applications such as cleaning products, coating formulations, fire-fighting foams, inks, vinyl polymerization, lubricants, gasoline, and as oil and water repellents for leather, paper and textiles. A detailed account of direct and indirect sources of PFCAs in the environment, an estimation of global historic releases to the environment and a discussion of PFCA environmental transport processes and sinks will be presented.

Key words: perfluorocarboxylic acid, sources, transport