Project 1: Occurrence, Fate, and Transport of Legacy and Clean Energy PFAS

Jennifer Guelfo
Prof. Jennifer Guelfo, PI
Lee Ferguson
Prof. Lee Ferguson, Co-PI

Despite studies suggesting occurrence at hazardous waste sites (e.g., manufacturing sites and landfills), there are critical knowledge gaps regarding occurrence, fate, and transport of legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in the clean energy sector. Polymeric and nonpolymeric PFAS are highly recalcitrant and toxic Superfund contaminants, so Project 1 seeks to 1) understand which novel and legacy, clean energy-associated PFAS occur in the environment and at what concentrations, 2) evaluate release mechanisms of novel and legacy, polymeric and non-polymeric, clean energy-associated PFAS, and 3) use experimental and quantitative approaches to evaluate fate and transport properties of clean energy-associated PFAS. Data, analytical tools, and models developed in Project 1 will increase the ability of communities, regulators, and other end users to understand and mitigate risks associated with exposure to this challenging class of contaminants.

 

Select PFAS publications:

2024

  1. Zhang, X., Sands, M., Lin, M., Guelfo, J., and Irudayaraj, J. In vitro toxicity of Lithium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) on human renal and hepatoma cells. 2024. Toxicology            Reports. 12: 280-288. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2024.02.008
  2. Abaie, E., Kumar, M., Kumar, N., Sun, Y., Guelfo, J. L., Shen, Y., and Reible, D. Application of β-Cyclodextrin Adsorbents in the Removal of Mixed Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. 2024. Toxics, 12(4), 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12040264
  3. Guelfo, J.L., Ferguson, P.L., Beck, J., Chernick, M. Doria-Manzur, A., Faught, P.W., Flug, T., Gray, E.P., Jayasundara, N., Knappe, D.R.U., Joyce, A.S., Meng, P., Shojaei, M. The dirty side of clean energy: Lithium-ion batteries 1 as a source of PFAS in the environment. 2024. Nature Communications.  

 

2023

  1. Yang, Zhao, Anderson, T., and Guelfo J.L. Evaluation of extraction techniques for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and application to a grocery store food survey and exposure assessment. 2023.  Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts. 25(12), 2015-2030. 10.1039/D3EM00268C
  2. Lafond, J.A., Hatzinger, P.B., Guelfo, J.L., Millerick, K, Jackson, A.W. Bacterial transformation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances: A review for the field of bioremediation. 2023. Environmental Science: Advances. 2: 1019-1041.  DOI: 10.1039/D3VA00031A.
  3. Yang Z, Shojaei M, Guelfo JL. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in grocery store foods: method optimization, occurrence, and exposure assessment. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 2023;25(12):2015-30. doi: 10.1039/D3EM00268C.
  4. Schaefer CE, Hooper JL, Strom LE, Wu K, Guelfo JL. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in foam and dewatering streams at wastewater treatment plants. AWWA Water Science. 2023;5(4):e1349. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1349.
  5. Schaefer CE, Hooper JL, Strom LE, Abusallout I, Dickenson ERV, Thompson KA, Mohan GR, Drennan D, Wu K, Guelfo JL. Occurrence of quantifiable and semi-quantifiable poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in united states wastewater treatment plants. Water Research. 2023;233:119724. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.119724.
  6. LaFond JA, Hatzinger PB, Guelfo JL, Millerick K, Jackson WA. Bacterial transformation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances: a review for the field of bioremediation. Environmental Science: Advances. 2023;2(8):1019-41. doi: 10.1039/D3VA00031A.\
  7. Muir DCG, Getzinger GJ, McBride M, Ferguson PL. How Many Chemicals in Commerce Have Been Analyzed in Environmental Media? A 50 Year Bibliometric Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology. 2023;57(25):9119-29. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09353.
  8. Camdzic D, Dickman RA, Joyce AS, Wallace JS, Ferguson PL, Aga DS. Quantitation of Total PFAS Including Trifluoroacetic Acid with Fluorine Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Analytical Chemistry. 2023;95(13):5484-8. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05354.

2022

  1. Speth T, Crimi M, Chowdhury Z, Dickenson E, Guelfo J, Knappe D, Liu J, Leeson A. PFAS are forever? The state of the science and research needs for analyzing and treating PFAS-laden water. AWWA Water Science. 2022;4(2):e1276. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1276.
  2. Silva JAK, Guelfo JL, Šimůnek J, McCray JE. Simulated leaching of PFAS from land-applied municipal biosolids at agricultural sites. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2022;251:104089. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.104089.
  3. Shojaei M, Kumar N, Guelfo JL. An Integrated Approach for Determination of Total Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Environmental Science & Technology. 2022;56(20):14517-27. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05143.
  4. Shojaei M, Joyce AS, Ferguson PL, Guelfo JL. Novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in an active-use C6-based aqueous film forming foam. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2022;3:100061. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100061.
  5. McDermett KS, Guelfo J, Anderson TA, Reible D, Jackson AW. The development of diffusive equilibrium, high-resolution passive samplers to measure perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. Chemosphere. 2022;303:134686. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134686.
  6. McDermett K, Anderson T, Jackson WA, Guelfo J. Assessing Potential Perfluoroalkyl Substances Trophic Transfer to Crickets (Acheta domesticus). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2022;41(12):2981-92. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5478.
  7. Lasee S, McDermett K, Kumar N, Guelfo J, Payton P, Yang Z, Anderson TA. Targeted analysis and Total Oxidizable Precursor assay of several insecticides for PFAS. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2022;3:100067. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100067.
  8. Hossain F, Dennis NM, Subbiah S, Karnjanapiboonwong A, Guelfo JL, Suski J, Anderson TA. Acute Oral Toxicity of Nonfluorinated Fire-Fighting Foams to Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2022;41(8):2003-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5398.
  9. Gharehveran MM, Walus AM, Anderson TA, Subbiah S, Guelfo J, Frigon M, Longwell A, Suski JG. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free aqueous film forming foam formulations: Chemical composition and biodegradation in an aerobic environment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2022;10(6):108953. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.108953.
  10. Pétré MA, Salk KR, Stapleton HM, Ferguson PL, Tait G, Obenour DR, Knappe DRU, Genereux DP. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in river discharge: Modeling loads upstream and downstream of a PFAS manufacturing plant in the Cape Fear watershed, North Carolina. Science of The Total Environment. 2022;831:154763. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154763.
  11. Herkert NJ, Kassotis CD, Zhang S, Han Y, Pulikkal VF, Sun M, Ferguson PL, Stapleton HM. Characterization of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances Present in Commercial Anti-fog Products and Their In Vitro Adipogenic Activity. Environmental Science & Technology. 2022;56(2):1162-73. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06990.

 

2021

  1. Shojaei M, Kumar N, Chaobol S, Wu K, Crimi M, Guelfo J. Enhanced Recovery of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) from Impacted Soils Using Heat Activated Persulfate. Environmental Science & Technology. 2021;55(14):9805-16. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08069.
  2. Guelfo JL, Korzeniowski S, Mills MA, Anderson J, Anderson RH, Arblaster JA, Conder JM, Cousins IT, Dasu K, Henry BJ, Lee LS, Liu J, McKenzie ER, Willey J. Environmental Sources, Chemistry, Fate, and Transport of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: State of the Science, Key Knowledge Gaps, and Recommendations Presented at the August 2019 SETAC Focus Topic Meeting. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2021;40(12):3234-60. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5182.
  3. Charbonnet JA, Rodowa AE, Joseph NT, Guelfo JL, Field JA, Jones GD, Higgins CP, Helbling DE, Houtz EF. Environmental Source Tracking of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances within a Forensic Context: Current and Future Techniques. Environmental Science & Technology. 2021;55(11):7237-45. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08506.
  4. Hunter B, Walker I, Lassiter R, Lassiter V, Gibson JM, Ferguson PL, Deshusses MA. Evaluation of private well contaminants in an underserved North Carolina community. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;789:147823. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147823.
  5. Getzinger GJ, Higgins CP, Ferguson PL. Structure Database and In Silico Spectral Library for Comprehensive Suspect Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Environmental Media by High-resolution Mass Spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry. 2021;93(5):2820-7. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04109.
  6. Getzinger GJ, Ferguson PL. High-Throughput Trace-Level Suspect Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Environmental Waters by Peak-Focusing Online Solid Phase Extraction and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. ACS ES&T Water. 2021;1(5):1240-51. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.0c00309.

 

2020

  1. Zhang M, Yamada K, Bourguet S, Guelfo J, Suuberg EM. Vapor Pressure of Nine Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) Determined Using the Knudsen Effusion Method. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data. 2020;65(5):2332-42. doi: 10.1021/acs.jced.9b00922.
  2. Schaefer CE, Nguyen D, Culina VM, Guelfo J, Kumar N. Application of Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests for Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids Using Anion-Exchange Resins and Granular Activated Carbon in Groundwater with Elevated Organic Carbon. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2020;59(38):16832-7. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c02290.
  3. Guelfo JL, Wunsch A, McCray J, Stults JF, Higgins CP. Subsurface transport potential of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs): Column experiments and modeling. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2020;233:103661. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2020.103661.
  4. McDonough CA, Choyke S, Ferguson PL, DeWitt JC, Higgins CP. Bioaccumulation of Novel Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mice Dosed with an Aqueous Film-Forming Foam. Environmental Science & Technology. 2020;54(9):5700-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00234.
  5. Herkert NJ, Merrill J, Peters C, Bollinger D, Zhang S, Hoffman K, Ferguson PL, Knappe DRU, Stapleton HM. Assessing the Effectiveness of Point-of-Use Residential Drinking Water Filters for Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs). Environmental Science & Technology Letters. 2020;7(3):178-84. doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00004.

 

 

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