Suspect Screening of Hydrocarbon Surfactants in AFFFs and AFFF-Contaminated Groundwater by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.
Raymmah Aleyda GarcíaAurea C Chiaia-HernandezPablo A Lara-MartínMartin LoosJuliane HollenderKarl OetjenChristopher P HigginsJennifer A FieldPublished in: Environmental science & technology (2019)
Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are proprietary mixtures containing hydrocarbon surfactants and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) that are used to extinguish hydrocarbon-based fuel fires. There is limited information on hydrocarbon surfactants in AFFFs and AFFF-contaminated groundwater even though hydrocarbon surfactants are more abundant (5-10% w/w) than PFASs (0.9-1.5% w/w) in AFFFs. Eight commercial AFFFs manufactured between 1988 and 2012 and 10 AFFF-contaminated groundwaters collected from near source zones of fire-fighter training areas were analyzed for suspect hydrocarbon surfactants by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A suspect list and a homologous series detection computational tool, enviMass, were combined to screen for hydrocarbon surfactants. Nine classes of hydrocarbon surfactants were detected in AFFFs including octylphenol polyethoxylates, linear alcohol ethoxylates, ethoxylated cocoamines, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl amido dipropionates, linear alkyl benzenesulfonates, alkyl sulfates, and polyethylene glycols. Of those, six were also found in groundwater along with diethanolamines and alkyl amido betaines, which were not found in the eight archived AFFFs. This indicates that although aerobically biodegradable, hydrocarbon surfactants likely persist in groundwater due to anaerobic aquifer conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first screening for hydrocarbon surfactants in AFFFs and in AFFF-contaminated groundwater.
Keyphrases
- drinking water
- heavy metals
- ionic liquid
- liquid chromatography
- high resolution mass spectrometry
- health risk assessment
- health risk
- human health
- mass spectrometry
- healthcare
- risk assessment
- dna damage
- dna repair
- sewage sludge
- room temperature
- high performance liquid chromatography
- real time pcr
- ultra high performance liquid chromatography
- organic matter