Fluorinated Surfactants in the Environment

The presence of fluorinated surfactants in the environment is of concern in air and in water or wastewater. 

Fluorinated surfactants can enter air as vapor if volatile or as a liquid or solid aerosol. To protect the health of workers, fluorinated surfactants have to be monitored in air at industrial sites where fluorinated surfactants are produced or used. 

Fluorinated surfactants present in air as solid aerosols, such as dust, are collected on filters made of mixed cellulose esters and combusted together with the filter in the oxyhydrogen torch [413]. Volatile fluorochemicals can be collected on a solid adsorbent in an adsorption tube connected to the outlet of the filter. 

The determination of fluorinated surfactants in water and wastewater is essential for (1) the detection of pollution by fluorinated surfactants, (2) study of biodegradation, and (3) determining the effect of fluorinated surfactants on aquatic life. If a specific method is not needed, the oxyhydrogen combustion method is the most effective [10]. By introducing a 10-mL water sample into the oxyhydrogen torch in several portions, as little as 20 0 ppb fluorinated surfactant can be detected without the need to concentrate the sample before combustion. 

When other fluorochemicals are present, the fluorinated surfactant has to be separated and determined by a specific analytical method. Some of the conventional methods for the analysis of hydrocarbon-type surfactants [ 1 ] are also 

---