TY - JOUR A1 - Ruyle, B. A1 - Pickard, H. A1 - Schultes, L. A1 - Fredriksson, F. A1 - Heffernan, A. A1 - Knappe, D. A1 - Lord, H. A1 - Meng, P. A1 - Mills, M. A1 - Ndungu, K. A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Rundberget, J.T. A1 - Tettenhorst, D. A1 - Van Buren, J. A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Westerman, D. A1 - Yeung, L. A1 - Sunderland, E. T1 - Interlaboratory Comparison of Extractable Organofluorine Measurements in Groundwater and Eel (Anguilla rostrata): Recommendations for Methods Standardization N2 - Research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) frequently incorporates organofluorine measurements, particularly because they could support a class-based approach to regulation. However, standardized methods for organofluorine analysis in a broad suite of matrices are currently unavailable, including a method for extractable organofluorine (EOF) measured using combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Here, we report the results of an international interlaboratory comparison. Seven laboratories representing academia, government, and the private sector measured paired EOF and PFAS concentrations in groundwater and eel (Anguilla rostrata) from a site contaminated by aqueous film-forming foam. Among all laboratories, targeted PFAS could not explain all EOF in groundwater but accounted for most EOF in eel. EOF results from all laboratories for at least one replicate extract fell within one standard deviation of the interlaboratory mean for groundwater and five out of seven laboratories for eel. PFAS spike mixture recoveries for EOF measurements in groundwater and eel were close to the criterion (±30%) for standardized targeted PFAS methods. Instrumental operation of the CIC such as replicate sample injections was a major source of measurement uncertainty. Blank contamination and incomplete inorganic fluorine removal may introduce additional uncertainties. To elucidate the presence of unknown organofluorine using paired EOF and PFAS measurements, we recommend that analysts carefully consider confounding methodological uncertainties such as differences in precision between measurements, data processing steps such as blank subtraction and replicate analyses, and the relative recoveries of PFAS and other fluorine compounds. KW - Extractable organic fluorine KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Combustion ion chromatography (CIC) PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-587726 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c04560 SN - 0013-936X VL - 57 IS - 48 SP - 20159 EP - 20168 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-58772 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zweigle, J. A1 - Schmidt, A. A1 - Bugsel, B. A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Zwiener, C. T1 - Perfluoroalkyl acid precursor or weakly fluorinated organic compound? A proof of concept for oxidative fractionation of PFAS and organofluorines N2 - Organofluorine mass balance approaches are increasingly applied to investigate the occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other organofluorines in environmental samples more comprehensively. Usually, complex samples prevent the identification and quantification of every fluorine-containing molecule. Consequently, large unidentified fractions between fluorine sum parameters such as extractable organic fluorine (EOF) and the sum of quantified analytes are frequently reported. We propose using oxidative conversion to separate (unidentified) weakly fluorinated compounds (e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals) from PFAA-precursors (perfluoroalkyl chain lengths ≥ C6). We show with three organofluorine model substances (flufenamic acid, diflufenican, pantoprazole) that CF3-groups or aromatic fluorine can be quantitatively converted to inorganic fluoride and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) by applying PhotoTOP oxidation (UV/TiO2). The principle of fluorine separation in mixtures is demonstrated by the oxidation of the three weakly fluorinated compounds together with the PFAA-precursor 6:2/6:2 fluorotelomer mercaptoalkyl phosphate diester (FTMAP). After oxidation, the products F− and TFA were separated from PFCAs ( C4) by SPE, and the fractions were analyzed individually. Closed mass balances both with and without the addition of organic matrix were achieved. Eventually, the fluorine balance was verified by total fluorine measurements with combustion ion chromatography (CIC). The proposed methods should be considered a proof of concept to potentially explain unidentified fractions of the EOF, especially if compounds with low fluorine content such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and their transformation products contribute largely to the EOF. Future studies are needed to show the applicability to the complexity of environmental samples. Graphical Abstract KW - Combustion Ion Chromatography KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-613429 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05590-5 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-61342 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Wittwer, Philipp A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Riedel, Maren A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Kalbe, Ute A1 - Schoknecht, Ute A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Ski Waxes and Snow from Cross-Country Skiing in Germany - Comparative study of Sum Parameter and Target Analysis N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are often environmentally exposed via discharge through human consumer products, such as ski waxes. In our study we analyzed various ski waxes from the 1980s and 2020s, to determine both the sum parameter values total fluorine (TF), extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF), hydrolysable organically bound fluorine (HOF) as well as targeted PFAS analysis. This showed that modern high-performance waxes contain up to 6 % TF, but also PFAS-free labelled ski waxes contain traces of PFAS with EOF/HOF values in the low mg kg-1 range. With the ban of all fluorine-based waxes with the start of the 2023/2024 winter season this will probably change soon. Moreover, we applied our analysis methods to snow samples from a frequently used cross country ski trail (Kammloipe) in the Ore Mountain region in Germany, assessing the potential PFAS entry/discharge through ski waxes. Melted snow samples from different spots were analyzed by the adsorbable organically bound fluorine (AOF) sum parameter and PFAS target analysis and confirmed the abrasion of the ski waxes into the snow. Moreover, on a PFAS hotspot also soil samples were analyzed, which indicate that PFAS from the ski waxes adsorb after snow melting into the soil. KW - Combustion Ion Chromatography KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Consumer Products PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-612760 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100484 VL - 16 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-61276 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wittwer, Philipp A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Less Is More: Influence of Cross-Linking Agent Concentration on PFOS Adsorption in Chitosan N2 - As a result of the continuous use of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), e.g., in aviation firefighting foams, contamination with PFAS has been found in soil, groundwater, and surface water around thousands of industrial and military installations. Due to their harmful (environmental) potential, further dispersion in the environment needs to be stopped, which can be achieved by appropriate absorption materials. In this work, the influence of the cross-linking agent epichlorohydrin (ECH) concentration on the perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) adsorption capacity of chitosan gel was investigated. It was found that higher ECH concentration during the cross-linking step decreases the PFOS adsorption capacity of the cross-linked chitosan gel from 0% to 4% ECH solution by about 15%. Using a concentration of 1%, ECH resulted still in an acid-stable material, and a maximum PFOS loading capacity of 4.04 mmol/g was obtained, one of the highest described in the literature. Furthermore, we used a rapid small-scale column test to compare the PFOS adsorption capacity of chitosan and activated carbon, each in both milled and unmilled form. Unmilled chitosan showed the highest PFOS adsorption capacity considering adsorption material dry masses (>0.9 and <0.4 mmol/g for both types of chitosan and activated carbon, respectively). Milled activated carbon proved to be the better adsorption material, considering the fixed volume of the adsorber (>99.9% PFOS adsorbed). Overall, the cross-linking agent concentration in chitosan is a crucial factor influencing its PFOS absorption potential. Our results feature cross-linked chitosan as an effective economic and ecologic alternative for PFOS adsorption in aqueous solutions. KW - Combustion Ion Chromatography KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Remediation PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-618406 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311145 VL - 14 IS - 23 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-61840 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -