Dataset Information

Occurrence of PFASs and its effect on soil bacteria at a fire-training area using PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams.

ABSTRACT: Fire-training areas (FTAs) are an important source of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) pollution. However, the effect of PFASs on soil bacterial communities remains limited. Here, we detected the PFASs in soils ranging from 3.4 to 531.7 μg kg^-1 dry weight in seven plots at an FTA where PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) have been used for 6 years. PFOS was still the dominant homologue despite the restriction by Stockholm Convention, but it was almost three orders of magnitude lower than that in previous studies. PFASs played an important role in shaping the bacterial community, and high levels of PFASs (>100 μg kg^-1 dw) reduced the biodiversity and connectivity of soil bacteria. The extreme condition-tolerant bacteria were identified as biomarkers at the FTA. Our study provides valuable insights into the effect of PFOS-restricted AFFFs on soil bacterial communities at the FTA.

SUBMITTER: Cao L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8971937 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Occurrence of PFASs and its effect on soil bacteria at a fire-training area using PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams.

Cao Lifeng L Xu Wenxin W Wan Ziren Z Li Guanghe G Zhang Fang F

iScience 20220317 4

Fire-training areas (FTAs) are an important source of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) pollution. However, the effect of PFASs on soil bacterial communities remains limited. Here, we detected the PFASs in soils ranging from 3.4 to 531.7 μg kg<sup>-1</sup> dry weight in seven plots at an FTA where PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) have been used for 6 years. PFOS was still the dominant homologue despite the restriction by Stockholm Convention, but it was almo ...[more]

PMID: 35372804

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Project description:A rapid analytical method for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) combining nano-electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry (Nano-ESI-HRMS) was developed and applied to aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and wastewater samples collected from three local wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This method exhibited high sensitivity with lower limits of detection (LODs) of 3.2∼36.2 ng/L for 22 target PFAS analytes. In AFFF formulations, Nano-ESI-HRMS enabled the first-time detection of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), perfluoroethyl cyclohexanesulfonate (PFECHS), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonyl amido sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSAS-SO2), N-ammoniopropyl perfluoroalkanesulfonamidopropylsulfonate (N-AmP-FASAPS, n = 3-6), ketone-perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (Keto-PFOS), fluorotelomer unsaturated amide sulfonic acid (FTUAmS, n = 7), and 6:2 fluorotelomer amide (6:2 FTAm). Their structures were verified by the tandem MS analysis using collision-induced dissociation. Further, the combination of absolute and semi-quantification results revealed 16 PFASs from 9 PFAS classes as dominant AFFF constituents, accounting for 88.2∼96.5% of the total detected anionic and zwitterionic PFASs, including perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs, n = 1,4∼8), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonates (6:2 FTS), fluorotelomer thioether amido sulfonic acid (FTSAS, n = 6,8), fluorotelomer sulfinyl amido sulfonic acid (FTSAS-SO, n = 6,8), N-AmP-FASAPS (n = 6), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylbetaine (6:2 FTAB), perfluoroalkylsulfonamido amino carboxylate (PFASAC, n = 6), 2-((perfluorooctyl)thio)acetatic acid (Thio-8:2 FTCA), and 6:2 FTAm. At WWTPs, aerobic and anaerobic biotransformation of PFAS precursors at the aeration tanks and secondary clarifiers were evident by the generation of mid/short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, such as perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA), as well as the emergence of ultrashort trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and TFMS and several novel fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs). Overall, Nano-ESI-HRMS enabled comprehensive PFAS quantitative analysis and suspect screening, applicable for rapid investigation and assessment of PFAS-related exposure and treatment in environmental matrixes. Our results also revealed that AFFFs and municipal wastewaters are two key sources contributing to the prevalent detection of ultrashort-chain PFASs (e.g., TFMS and TFA) in water.

Project description:The deployment of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) used for firefighting during emergencies and training often releases per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. In October 2018, first responders in Providence, RI, USA applied an AFFF during a fuel spill. Due to the proximity of the incident to the upper reaches of Narragansett Bay (NB), an unknown quantity of gasoline and AFFF entered the estuary via surface runoff and stormwater drains. Water samples near the spill were collected approximately 15 h after the incident and analyzed for 24 PFAS. Minor increases in measured PFAS concentrations were observed relative to pre- and post-spill samples at monitoring sites near the incident, except 6:2-fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2-FTS) that peaked post-spill (max 311 ng/L). After performing the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay on water samples and the AFFF concentrate, significant increases in perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were observed. One compound, 6:2 fluorotelomer mercaptoalkylamido sulfonate (6:2-FTSAS), was identified as a major component of the AFFF used. Peak areas of 6:2-FTSAS and the degradation product 6:2-FTSAS-sulfoxide corresponded to observed increases in the TOP assay results and were useful as tracers of AFFF in surrounding waters. Elevated levels of PFAS at the time of sampling were limited to a confined area of the Providence River due to river flow and tidal action. Observed concentrations were also compared to hydrodynamic model results, and results confirmed rapid dissipation of AFFF components with distance from the spill. However, modeled results did not capture possible secondary releases of AFFF from local municipal stormwater and sewer infrastructure, as observational data suggest. The multiple lines of evidence of PFAS present in surface waters permitted a better assessment of the potential environmental impacts from products such as AFFF for which the chemical composition is largely unknown.

Dataset Information

Occurrence of PFASs and its effect on soil bacteria at a fire-training area using PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams.

Publications

Occurrence of PFASs and its effect on soil bacteria at a fire-training area using PFOS-restricted aqueous film-forming foams.

Similar Datasets

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