Sorption and desorption kinetics of PFOS to pristine microplastic

The sorption processes of persistent organic pollutants on microplastics particles are poorly understood. Therefore, the present study investigated the sorption processes of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) on polyethylene (PE) microplastic particles (MPs) which are representing a prominent environmental pollutant and one of the most abundant microplastic polymers in the aquatic environment, respectively. The focus was set on the investigation of the impact of the particle size on PFOS sorption using four different PE MPs size ranges. The sorption kinetics for 6 months was studied with one selected size range of PE MPs. Besides, the desorption of PFOS from PE MPs under simulated digestive conditions was carried out by using artificial gut fluid mimicking the intestinal juice of fish. The investigation of the size effects of particles over 6 months demonstrated a linear increase of PFOS concentration sorbed onto PE with a decrease of the particle size. Thus, our findings implicate efficient sorption of PFOS onto PE MPs of different sizes. The results showed that PFOS desorbed from the PE MPs into the artificial gut fluid with a rate of 70 to 80%. Besides, a longer exposure of PE MPs to PFOS leads to a higher concentration adsorbed by PE MPs, which may favor the ingestion of higher concentration of PFOS, and thus represents a higher risk to transfer relevant concentrations of PFOS during digestion.

Effects of three additives on the removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) by coagulation using ferric chloride or aluminum sulfate

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and its salts (PFOS) are emerging contaminants with long half-lives in water and human bodies. Accordingly, PFOS removal from water streams is required for controlling the PFOS pollution. To provide a simple PFOS separation technology, effects of three additives, powdered activated carbon (PAC), gelatin, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), on the PFOS removal by coagulation with ferric chloride or aluminum sulfate were investigated in this study. As a result, coagulation with PAC or CTAB addition was effective in the PFOS removal, though the conventional coagulation and coagulation with gelatin addition were ineffective. A PFOS removal efficiency of over 90% was observed for the CTAB dose of over 1.6 μM (0.58 mg/L) and for the PAC dose of over 40 mg/L, and that of over 95% was achieved by the CTAB dose of over 2.4 μM (0.87 mg/L), when the initial PFOS concentration was 1.84 μM. The positive effect of CTAB would be caused by micelle formation, which was enhanced by both the association of hydrophobic tails and the electrostatic attraction of hydrophilic heads of PFOS and CTAB. Thus, a linear cationic surfactant of CTAB was concluded to be an effective additive for the PFOS removal by coagulation.

Negative Association Between Serum Perfluorooctane Sulfate Concentration and Bone Mineral Density in US Premenopausal Women: NHANES, 2005–2008

Context: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfate (PFOS) are used in a variety of products worldwide. However, the relationship among serum PFOA, PFOS concentration, bone mineral density (BMD), and the risk of fractures has never been addressed. Objectives: The study examined the association among serum PFOA, PFOS concentration, and lumbar spine and total hip BMD in the general US population. Design and Participants: We analyzed data on 2339 adults (aged ≧20 y) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 to determine the relationship among serum PFOA, PFOS concentration, and total lumbar spine and total hip BMD measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and history of fractures cross-sectionally. Results: After weighting for sampling strategy, a 1-U increase in the natural log-transformed serum PFOS level was associated with a decrease in total lumbar spine BMD by 0.022 g/cm2 (95% confidence interval −0.038, −0.007; P = .006) in women not in menopause. There was no association among PFOA, PFOS concentration, and self-reported fracture in adults. Conclusion: Serum PFOS concentration is associated with decreased total lumbar spine BMD in women not in menopause. However, the potential biological significance of this effect is marginal and subclinical in the general US population. Further studies are warranted to clarify the causal relationship between perfluorinated chemical exposure and BMD.