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Modeling the environmental fate of perfluorooctanoate and its precursors from global fluorotelomer acrylate polymer use
Author(s) -
van Zelm Rosalie,
Huijbregts Mark A.J.,
Russell Mark H.,
Jager Tjalling,
van de Meent Dik
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1897/08-042.1
Subject(s) - perfluorooctanoic acid , environmental chemistry , chemistry , seawater , environmental science , residual , sewage sludge , biodegradation , sewage treatment , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , geology , oceanography , algorithm , computer science
The environment contains various direct and indirect sources of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The present study uses a dynamic multispecies environmental fate model to analyze the potential formation of perfluorooctanoate (PFO), the anion of PFOA, in the environment from fluorotelomer acrylate polymer (FTacrylate) emitted to landfills and wastewater, residual fluorotelomer alcohol (8:2 FTOH) in FTacrylate, and residual PFOA in FTacrylate. A multispecies version of the SimpleBox model, which is capable of determining the fate of a chemical and its degradation products, was developed for this purpose. An uncertainty analysis on the chemical‐specific input parameters was performed to examine for uncertainty in modeled concentrations. In 2005, residual 8:2 FTOH made up 80% of the total contribution of FTacrylate use to PFO concentrations in global oceans, and residual PFOA in FTacrylate contributed 15% to PFO concentrations from FTacrylate use in global oceans. After hundreds of years, however, the main source of PFO from total historical FTacrylate production is predicted to be FTacrylate degrading in soil following land application of sludge from sewage treatment plants, followed by FTacrylate still present in landfills. Uncertainty in modeled PFO concentrations was up to a factor of 3.3. Current FTacrylate use contributes less than 1% of the PFO in seawater, but because direct PFOA emission sources are reduced and PFOA continues to be formed from FTacrylate in soil and in landfills, this fraction grows over time.