Degradation and Plant Transfer Rates of Seven Fluorotelomer Precursors to Perfluoroalkyl Acids and F-53B in a Soil-Plant System with Maize (<i>Zea mays L</i>.)
Hildegard Just, Bernd Göckener, René Lämmer, Lars Wiedemann-Krantz, T. Stahl, Jörn Breuer, Matthias Gaßmann, Eva Weidemann, Mark Bücking, J. Kowalczyk
Abstract
.). The degradation of fluorotelomer precursors to perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and their uptake spectra corresponded to those of fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) in terms of the number of perfluorinated carbon atoms. Short-chain PFCAs were translocated into the shoots (in descending order perfluoropentanoic, perfluorobutanoic, and perfluorohexanoic acid), whereas long-chain PFCAs mainly remained in the soil. In particular, fluorotelomer phosphate diesters (diPAPs) were retained in the soil and showed the highest degradation potential including evidence of α-oxidative processes. F-53B did not degrade to PFAAs and its constituents were mainly detected in the roots with minor uptake into the shoots. The results demonstrate the important role of precursors as an entry pathway for PFCAs into the food chain.