Targeted And Total Pfas Measurements In Arizona Rainwater From National Atmospheric Deposition Program Samples
Presenter: Stephanie Serrano1
Co-Author(s): Leif Abrell, Danielle Barrientes, Jon Chorover, Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta
Advisor(s): Dr. Martha P.L Whitaker
1Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are an ever-increasing problem for humans and environmental health. PFAS have had widespread use in industrial and commercial applications, and their strong carbon-fluorine bond means they cannot naturally be broken down easily. Increased risk of diseases and cancers in humans is associated with exposure to these chemicals and their persistence in the environment. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) is a cooperative research program that operates atmospheric deposition monitoring sites, and reports deposition chemistry data from across the United States. In Arizona, NADP has non-roof harvested rainwater (NRHRW) collection sites at the Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Chiricahua National Monument, and Oliver Knoll Peak. Rainwater samples collected from these NADP sites were analyzed at the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC) at the University of Arizona. Total organic fluorine was measured by combustion ion chromatography (CIC) to understand the total PFAS burden in each sample, and solid phase extraction (SPE)-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is being used to understand individual, targeted PFAS chemical concentrations. Results from these sample measurements will be presented in the poster.