Short-chain fluorotelomer-based products are surfactants or polymers derived from 6:2 fluorotelomer raw materials. To develop an understanding of the environmental fate of this family of products and raw materials, aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation studies have been conducted in a wide variety of environmental matrices such as soil, sludge, sediment, etc. to determine their fate under terrestrially relevant conditions. These studies show that under aerobic conditions 6:2 fluorotelomer-based products degrade and converge to common biodegradation pathways for 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol. These pathways lead to per- and poly-fluoro carboxylic acids. In anaerobic settings, the formation of perfluorocarboxylic acids is minimal. The amount of each biodegradation product has been seen to vary significantly by test matrix and study setting. Moreover, recent studies have begun to unravel the identity of the microbiology that leads to the pathways. This paper will present an overview of this body of work.

Short-chain fluorotelomer-based substances – Common biodegradation pathways

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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