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Selective Quantification of Charged and Neutral Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using the Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP)

Edmund H Antell¹, Shan Yi², Christopher I Olivares³

¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.

Environmental Science & Technology

|February 13, 2025

Summary

This study introduces a new method to separate and quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) precursors by charge. This advance helps understand PFAS environmental fate and human health risks.

Keywords:

AFFF analytical chemistry fate and transport per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)precursors sewershed soil extraction wastewater

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Area of Science:

Environmental Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Environmental Science

Background:

Perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors are diverse PFAS that convert to concerning PFAAs.
Precursor charge influences environmental behavior, but current methods lack charge-specific quantification.
Existing techniques struggle to determine the abundance of PFAS precursors within different charge groups.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for separating PFAS precursors by charge.
To quantify the total oxidizable precursors (TOP) within each separated charge fraction.
To address the gap in understanding the environmental distribution of PFAS precursors based on their charge.

Main Methods:

Developed and validated a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure for precursor charge separation.
Quantified precursor abundance in each fraction using the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay.
Tested method performance with spiked precursors in groundwater, wastewater, and soil samples impacted by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

Main Results:

The SPE method successfully separated PFAS precursors by charge.
Precursor fractionation and recovery were more effective in groundwater and soil than in wastewater.
Anionic precursors dominated surficial soils near AFFF sources, while groundwater showed a different distribution.
In wastewater, total precursors exceeded total PFAAs and were evenly distributed across charge fractions.

Conclusions:

The developed method enables charge-specific analysis of PFAS precursors, crucial for understanding their environmental fate.
Results highlight variations in precursor charge distribution across different environmental matrices (soil, groundwater, wastewater).
This analytical advancement aids in assessing the risks associated with PFAS precursors and informing environmental remediation strategies.