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Peer-reviewedCC BYEnvironmental science & technology

Bifurcated Fluorotelomer Carboxylic Acid Biotransformation: Enoyl-Hydration versus Hydroxylation Regulated by Redox Conditions.

  • Boyuan Su1
  • Hao Chen1
  • John Washington2,3
  • Mengyan Li1
  1. 1Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey07102, United States.
  2. 2Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia30602, United States.
  3. 3U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia30605, United States.
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Abstract

Fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) are important precursors of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in wastewater and biosolids, yet their redox-dependent biotransformation remains poorly understood. We investigated 5:3 FTCA biotransformation in microcosms inoculated with activated sludge and anaerobic digester sludge under aerobic, nitrate-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. After correction for abiotic losses, the pseudo-first-order removal rate was 0.074 d-1 under aerobic conditions, over an order of magnitude higher than under nitrate-reducing (0.0045 d-1) and methanogenic (0.0028 d-1) conditions; sulfate-reducing conditions showed minimal removal. Nontarget Nano-ESI-HRMS analysis further revealed ultrashort-chain PFCAs, including PFPrA, and previously unreported intermediates, including keto-5:3 FTCA and 3-F-4:3 FTCA. A bifurcated FTCA biotransformation framework was unveiled, initiated by Cα-centered hydroxylation and Cβ-centered enoyl-hydration. Hydroxylation promoted iterative CF2 moiety removal and progressive chain shortening, accounting for nearly 95% of measured products and 72.8% of fluoride release under aerobic conditions, whereas enoyl-hydration dominated (>60%) under nitrate reduction and favored PFCA formation. These findings provide quantitative and mechanistic evidence for competing FTCA biotransformation routes in wastewater microbiomes and highlight redox control as a critical lever for steering PFAS fate toward either PFCA accumulation or progressive defluorination.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{su2026bifurcated,
  title = {{Bifurcated Fluorotelomer Carboxylic Acid Biotransformation: Enoyl-Hydration versus Hydroxylation Regulated by Redox Conditions.}},
  author = {Boyuan Su and Hao Chen and John Washington and Mengyan Li},
  journal = {Environmental science \& technology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1021/acs.est.6c04089},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42917009},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bifurcated Fluorotelomer Carboxylic Acid Biotransformation: Enoyl-Hydration versus Hydroxylation Regulated by Redox Conditions.
AU  - Boyuan Su
AU  - Hao Chen
AU  - John Washington
AU  - Mengyan Li
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Environmental science & technology
DO  - 10.1021/acs.est.6c04089
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42917009
AB  - Fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) are important precursors of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in wastewater and biosolids, yet their redox-dependent biotransformation remains poorly understood. We investigated 5:3 FTCA biotransformation in microcosms inoculated with activated sludge and anaerobic digester sludge under aerobic, nitrate-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. After correction for abiotic losses, the pseudo-first-order removal rate was 0.074 d-1 under aerobic conditions, over an order of magnitude higher than under nitrate-reducing (0.0045 d-1) and methanogenic (0.0028 d-1) conditions; sulfate-reducing conditions showed minimal removal. Nontarget Nano-ESI-HRMS analysis further revealed ultrashort-chain PFCAs, including PFPrA, and previously unreported intermediates, including keto-5:3 FTCA and 3-F-4:3 FTCA. A bifurcated FTCA biotransformation framework was unveiled, initiated by Cα-centered hydroxylation and Cβ-centered enoyl-hydration. Hydroxylation promoted iterative CF2 moiety removal and progressive chain shortening, accounting for nearly 95% of measured products and 72.8% of fluoride release under aerobic conditions, whereas enoyl-hydration dominated (>60%) under nitrate reduction and favored PFCA formation. These findings provide quantitative and mechanistic evidence for competing FTCA biotransformation routes in wastewater microbiomes and highlight redox control as a critical lever for steering PFAS fate toward either PFCA accumulation or progressive defluorination.
SN  - 0013-936X
SN  - 1520-5851
ER  -