Resolving fluorinated chemicals

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Perfluorinated acids (PFCAs and PFOS) are widely disseminated in the global environment and appear at high concentrations in humans and in Arctic mammals.  Precursor fluoro-alcohols are readily found in the atmosphere and have been shown to undergo atmospheric transport and OH driven transformation reactions to yield the perfluorinated acids.  We have developed the 'precursor alcohol atmospheric reaction and transport' or PAART theory to potentially explain these observations.  Residual fluoro-alcohols are significant in fluorinated polymers and may contribute significantly to the global burden, though we know little about the stability of the linkage chemistry within the fluorinated materials.  Human contamination is suggestive of an indirect source of exposure through metabolism of the fluorinated alcohols, which would indicate attention to the reactive intermediates is prudent.  Significant research questions are focused on identifying the dominant routes of human exposure.  One particular hypothesis is that fluorinated surfactants, the fluorinated alkylphosphates, leach from food packaging and are ultimately metabolized to yield the fluorinated acids such as PFOA and PFOS.  Our work will further our understanding on how these materials cause perfluorinated acid pollution and identify the steps to addressing this problem.  We are also actively developing methods in order to identify additional fluorinated chemicals that have been missed used common detection techniques.  The utility of fluorinated materials results in significant societal benefits and a full appreciation for their chemical reactivity and fate will directly contribute to developing materials that deliver the desired qualities with fewer negative consequences.