Researchers developed a way to fingerprint organofluorine compounds -- sometimes called 'forever chemicals' --which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end up in aquifers, waterways or soil.
Researchers developed a way to fingerprint organofluorine compounds -- sometimes called 'forever chemicals' --which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end up in aquifers, waterways or soil.
The technique involves passing samples through a strong magnetic field then reading the burst of radio waves their atoms emit. This reveals the composition of carbon isotopes in the molecule and gives the chemical its fingerprint, a feat that had not previously been achieved with forever chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to regulate forever chemicals, which include PFAS, and eliminate most of them from drinking water. However, the molecular bonds of the chemicals also make them difficult to trace. That's because conventional chemical fingerprinting involves breaking molecules apart in a mass spectrometer which doesn't work well with the tough molecular bonds of forever chemicals.
The researchers' technique uses the NMR instrument alongside their own computational tools to determine the mix of carbon isotopes at each position in the molecule. Because the mix of carbon isotopes bonding to each fluorine atom is unique to how the chemical was manufactured, this information can be used like a fingerprint to trace a chemical.
The researchers tested their technique on samples that included pharmaceuticals and a common pesticide. Rasmussen and Hoffman are now conducting a pilot study to see how the technique will fare on pollutants that show up in the city of Austin's creeks and wastewater. If successful, the technique could be useful for state and federal agencies who want to track the spread of water-borne forever chemicals.
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