Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recalcitrant, bioaccumulative, and potentially toxic compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment. They are commonly found indoors due to their widespread use in consumer products to make them waterproof, fireproof, or stain resistant (e.g., paint, carpets, furniture). Though banned in the U.S., perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are still commonly detected in dust and air samples. The hypothesis of this research was that PFOA, PFOS, and other terminal species from the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) subgroup found indoors arise from the transformation of polyfluoroalkyl substances (i.e., PFAAs precursors). Here, we demonstrate the chemical pathway by which PFAAs precursors form terminal species when under various conditions in indoor environments. We provide reaction coefficients for precursor reactions, which have not been described previously.

Abiotic transformation of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors found indoors to terminal products

ACS Spring 2022

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