Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Street Sweepings.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants found globally.
• Street dust is a significant pathway for environmental contaminant transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize PFAS contamination in street sweepings across multiple Florida urban areas.
• To compare PFAS profiles between different cities and identify dominant compounds.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 117 street sweeping samples using a comprehensive analytical workflow.
• Quantification of 37 distinct PFAS compounds, including perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and their precursors.
• City-wide characterization in Gainesville and comparative analysis across five additional urban locations.

Main Results:

• Sixty percent of quantified PFAS in Gainesville were PFAAs, with short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) being the dominant class.
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS_lin) were the most frequently detected PFAS across all cities.
• First-time detection of hexadecafluorosebacic acid and perfluoro-3,6,9-trioxaundecane-1,11-dioic acid in environmental samples.

Conclusions:

• Street sweepings serve as a valuable indicator of urban PFAS contamination.
• PFAS contamination is widespread, with varying dominant compounds and classes across different urban environments.
• This study expands the known environmental occurrence of specific PFAS compounds.