Atmospheric dry deposition of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina

Potter, Ariel

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109906 Copy

Description

Title

Atmospheric dry deposition of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina

Author(s)

Potter, Ariel

Issue Date

2021-04-27

Keyword(s)

• per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
• PFAS

Abstract

Presented by: Ariel Potter – Student at University of North Carolina Wilmington, aap3450@uncw.edu Co-authors: Megumi S. Shimizu, Jennifer L. Harfmann, G. Brooks Avery, Robert J. Kieber, Ralph N. Mead, Stephen A. Skrabal, Joan D. Willey Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkayl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants but little is known about atmospheric dry deposition of these compounds. Fluxes of six PFAS were quantified at six locations across North Carolina from December 2018 to January 2021. Two legacy PFAS and four emerging (e.g. HFPO-DA) PFAS were quantified in each location. ΣPFAS fluxes for Wilmington ranged from 0.04-19 ng/m2/day for years 2019 and 2020, with PFOS and PFMOAA being the dominant compounds. In comparison, samples collected across North Carolina in 2018 and 2019 had ΣPFAS fluxes from below the method quantification limit to 50 ng/m2/day, with PFOS being the dominant compound. Annual dry deposition of PFAS in Wilmington for years 2019 (n = 23) and 2020 (n = 15) was 740 and 340 ng/m2 respectively. While PFOS and PFOA production in the United States was voluntarily phased out by 2002 and 2015 respectively, there are still sources of PFOS and PFOA to the atmosphere in the United States. This study is the first to show that dry deposition is a removal mechanism for emerging PFAS from the atmosphere and highlights the need for further investigation into their atmospheric lifetime and degradation pathways. Biography: Ariel Potter is a graduate student seeking a M.S. in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). She earned B.S. degrees in Marine Biology and Chemistry from UNCW in 2018. During her undergraduate years, her research focused on the effects of oyster aquaculture on seagrass in intracoastal North Carolina. Her current research focuses on quantifying and identifying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in dry atmospheric deposition across the state of North Carolina.

Series/Report Name or Number

2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC21)

Type of Resource

• text
• still image

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109906

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