Sheng Dong, PhD, coauthored the paper “Fate and Transformation of 15 Classes of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)-Amended Soil Microcosms” in the journal, Environmental Science and Technology. The article was published on December 10, 2024.

Her coauthors were Peng-Fei Yan and Natalie Cápiro of Cornell University, Katherine Manz of the University of Michigan, and Linda Abriola and Kurt Pennell of Brown University.

Sheng is a Senior Staff Professional based in Minnesota who focuses on process engineering, remedial design, PFAS fate and transport, and data analysis and visualization. While completing her doctoral degree, she conducted research on PFAS fate, transport, and effects on microbial communities and biodegradation of chlorinated solvents.

Environmental Science & Technology publishes rigorous and robust papers for scientists, policymakers, and the broad environmental community. The journal advances scholarship on critical environmental problems and complex environmental phenomena, particularly with respect to fate, transport, and transformation in natural and engineered systems.

Abstract

The environmental fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), especially those synthesized by electrochemical fluorination (ECF) processes, remains largely unknown. This study evaluated the transformation of AFFF-derived ECF-based precursors in aerobic soil microcosms amended with a historically used AFFF formulation (3M Light WaterTM). Fifteen classes of PFAS, including AFFF components and transformation products, were identified or tentatively identified by suspect screening/nontargeted analysis (SSA/NTA) throughout a 308-day incubation. This study demonstrates that AFFF-derived ECF-based precursors serve as sources of perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), which are commonly detected at AFFF-impacted sites. Temporal sampling provided evidence for biotransformation of multiple precursors including tri- or dimethyl ammonio propyl perfluoroalkane sulfonamides. Additionally, the environmental stability (i.e., resistance to transformation) of ECF-based precursors was found to depend upon structural characteristics, including perfluoroalkyl chain length, presence of sulfonamide or carboxamide groups, and functional groups (e.g., a branch of carboxyalkyl group) attached to the nitrogen atoms. These findings provide insights into the transformation pathways of AFFF-derived PFAS and other structurally similar ECF-based PFAS, which will support the management and remediation of PFAS contamination at legacy AFFF-impacted sites.

More Information

Read the article here.
Learn more about the publication: Environmental Science & Technology
For more information on PFAS in AFFF, contact Sheng at Sheng.Dong@Geosyntec.com.
Learn more about Sheng: Sheng Dong | LinkedIn