Abstract

Overestimation of the particle phase concentration collected on glass-fiber filters (GFFs) has been reported for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) using conventional high volume air samplers. In this study, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances stances (PFASs) were determined in the gas and particulate phases using colocated annular diffusion denuder and high volume air samplers at a semiurban site in Toronto, Canada, in winter 2010. Samples were analyzed for 7 PFAS classes (i.e., PFCAs, perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs), fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer methacrylates (FTMACs), fluorotelomer acrylates (FTACs), perfluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs), and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs)). The gas diffusion coefficients for individual PFASs were calculated and the denuder performance was evaluated. Modeled subcooled liquid vapor pressures (p(L)) correlated well with the vapor phase breakthrough for the denuder and high volume air systems. Total air concentrations for PFASs measured using annular diffusion denuders and high volume samplers were in agreement within a factor of 4; however, much greater differences were observed for measurements of gas-particle partitioning. Vapor phase PFSAs and PFCAs can adsorb to the GFF using high volume air samplers, resulting in much higher particle-associated fractions for these chemicals compared to the annular diffusion denuder sampler. This effect was not observed for the FTOHs, FTMACs, FTACs, FOSAs, and FOSEs. Thus, for investigations of gas-particle partitioning of PFSAs and PFCAs, the diffusion denuder sampler is the preferred method. The results of this study improve our understanding of the gas-particle partitioning of PFASs, which is important for modeling their long-range transport in air.

Published in

Analytical Chemistry
2011, Volume: 83, number: 24, pages: 9622-9628
Publisher: AMER CHEMICAL SOC

UKÄ Subject classification

Analytical Chemistry
Environmental Sciences
Organic Chemistry


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ac202414w

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/53649