Determination of Perfluorocarboxylates in Groundwater Impacted by Fire-Fighting Activity

Abstract

Perfluorinated surfactants are used in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) formulations, which are used to extinguish hydrocarbon−fuel fires. Virtually nothing is known about the occurrence of perfluorinated surfactants in the environment, in particular, at fire-training areas and emergency response sites where AFFF entered groundwater without prior treatment. Strong anion exchange Empore disks were used to extract perfluorocarboxylates from groundwater collected from fire-training facilities located on Naval Air Station Fallon, NV, and Tyndall Air Force Base, FL. The carboxylates were simultaneously eluted from the disks and derivatized to their methyl esters for direct analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Perfluorocarboxylates containing six to eight carbons were detected in groundwater collected from the two field sites with total concentrations ranging from 125 to 7090 μg/L. The detection of perfluorocarboxylates at field sites after 7−10 years of inactivity indicates their potential utility as markers for delineating groundwater impacted by fire-fighting activity.