TY - JOUR

T1 - Development and Applications of Novel DGT Passive Samplers for Measuring 12 Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Natural Waters and Wastewaters

AU - Fang, Z.

AU - Li, Y.

AU - Yang, D.

AU - Zhang, H.

AU - Jones, K.C.

AU - Gu, C.

AU - Luo, J.

N1 - This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Environmental Science and Technology, copyright ©2021 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c08092

PY - 2021/7/20

Y1 - 2021/7/20

N2 - Extensive and long-term use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has caused their widespread distribution in aquatic systems. A new diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive sampling method based on weak anion exchanger (WAX) binding layer is developed here for monitoring five perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), five perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids (PFSAs) and two PFASs (6:2 FTSA and GenX) in waters. Performance of WAX-DGTs was independent of environmental conditions, namely pH (3.03-8.96), ionic strength (1-500 mM), and DOM content (4-30 mg L-1). Diffusion coefficients (D) of the 12 PFASs in the diffusive gels were measured, 9 for the first time. Linear correlations between D and perfluoroalkyl chain lengths (CF2) were established to obtain D for congener chemicals with the similar functional group and structure. The binding capacity of the WAX-DGT sampler was at least 440 μg PFASs per sampler, sufficient for applications in waters across a wide range of conditions and PFASs concentrations. Successful applications of WAX based DGT samplers in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and three rivers has demonstrated that DGT is a powerful tool for monitoring, surveillance and research of these 12 PFASs in aquatic systems, and can be extended to wider suites of PFs in future.

AB - Extensive and long-term use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has caused their widespread distribution in aquatic systems. A new diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive sampling method based on weak anion exchanger (WAX) binding layer is developed here for monitoring five perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), five perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids (PFSAs) and two PFASs (6:2 FTSA and GenX) in waters. Performance of WAX-DGTs was independent of environmental conditions, namely pH (3.03-8.96), ionic strength (1-500 mM), and DOM content (4-30 mg L-1). Diffusion coefficients (D) of the 12 PFASs in the diffusive gels were measured, 9 for the first time. Linear correlations between D and perfluoroalkyl chain lengths (CF2) were established to obtain D for congener chemicals with the similar functional group and structure. The binding capacity of the WAX-DGT sampler was at least 440 μg PFASs per sampler, sufficient for applications in waters across a wide range of conditions and PFASs concentrations. Successful applications of WAX based DGT samplers in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and three rivers has demonstrated that DGT is a powerful tool for monitoring, surveillance and research of these 12 PFASs in aquatic systems, and can be extended to wider suites of PFs in future.

KW - DGT

KW - natural waters

KW - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

KW - wastewaters

KW - Ion exchangers

KW - Ionic strength

KW - Sewage treatment plants

KW - Development and applications

KW - Diffusive gradients in thin films

KW - Environmental conditions

KW - Perfluoroalkanesulfonic

KW - Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids

KW - Perfluoroalkyl chains

KW - Polyfluoroalkyl substances

KW - Wastewater treatment plants

KW - Wastewater treatment

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.0c08092

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.0c08092

M3 - Journal article

VL - 55

SP - 9548

EP - 9556

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 14

ER -