Fluorotelomer carboxylic acids and PFOS in rainwater from an urban center in Canada.

A method based on LC/MS/MS analysis of fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs: CnF2n+1CH2COOH, n = 6, 8, and 10) and fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acids (FTUCAs: CnF2nCHCOOH, n = 6, 8, and 10) in rainwater using negative ionization electrospray multiple reaction monitoring conditions is described. These compounds are thought to be oxidative products of atmospherically transported fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs: CnF2n+1CH2CH2CH2OH). Preconcentration from rainwater samples collected in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, was achieved using solid-phase extraction on C18 sorbent. Low parts per trillion levels of the C10- and C12-FTCAs and FTUCAs were detected, suggesting that one possible pathway of removing FTOHs from the atmosphere is through oxidation and wet deposition. Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were simultaneously analyzed in the rainwater samples using established LC/MS/MS methods. PFOS was deposited in rainwater with a concentration of 0.59 ng/L while PFCAs were not detected above their respective method detection limits.