Colloidal Side-Chain Fluorinated Polymer Nanoparticles Are a Significant Source of Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination in Textile Wastewater
Date
2025-12-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Repository Usage Stats
views
downloads
Citation Stats
Attention Stats
Abstract
Side-chain fluorinated polymers (SCFP) are a class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are extensively used in functional textiles as water and stain repellents. The potential for environmental contamination through the release of SCFP into aqueous waste streams during textile manufacturing is poorly understood. In this study, SCFP in textile wastewater were characterized using targeted analysis, total oxidizable precursor (TOP) and total hydrolyzable precursor (THP) assays, ultrafiltration, and asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4). An investigation into point sources of PFAS precursors in Burlington, NC’s wastewater treatment plant (EBWWTP) using the TOP assay revealed a significant PFAS burden stemming from textile manufacturing operations within the city’s sewershed (max: 12,000,000 ng/L after oxidation), far outweighing domestic contributions. TOP and THP profiling of textile manufacturing wastewater showed that the dominant precursors contained 6:2 fluorotelomer functionality, and ultrafiltration and AF4 showed them to be colloidal in size (hydrodynamic diameter: ∼100 nm), resulting in the determination of SCFP in textile wastewater. PFAS mass loading analysis showed that most SCFP exiting the EBWWTP were associated with sludge rather than effluent, where ∑PFAS concentrations up to 150,000 ng/g were measured using the direct TOP assay; thus, the land application of SCFP-contaminated biosolids may represent a significant route of environmental contamination.
Type
Department
Description
Provenance
Subjects
Citation
Permalink
Published Version (Please cite this version)
Publication Info
Faught, PW, M Shojaei, AS Joyce and PL Ferguson (2025). Colloidal Side-Chain Fluorinated Polymer Nanoparticles Are a Significant Source of Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination in Textile Wastewater. Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 12(12). pp. 1669–1674. 10.1021/acs.estlett.5c01014 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/34295.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
Scholars@Duke
P. Lee Ferguson
Dr. Ferguson is an Environmental Analytical Chemist who joined Duke in 2009 after six years as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina.
Research in the Ferguson laboratory is focused on development and application of analytical methods for measuring organic pollutants in the environment. Specifically, a major thrust of research in the lab involves the application of high resolution mass spectrometry to detect, identify, and quantify emerging contaminants in wastewater and drinking water. His recent work has centered on the development of non-targeted analysis workflows and methods, assessment of polyfluorinated alkyl substances in water and wastewater, and leaching and bioaccessibility of polymer-associated chemicals from microplastic particles in the aquatic environment. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed chapters and journal articles, serves on advisory councils for several organizations focused on emerging pollutants in the environment, and has testified before the U.S. Senate on environmental health concerns related to nanotechnology. In North Carolina, he helped lead the formation of the NC PFAS Testing Network to assess statewide drinking water contamination from PFAS chemicals.
Unless otherwise indicated, scholarly articles published by Duke faculty members are made available here with a CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial) license, as enabled by the Duke Open Access Policy. If you wish to use the materials in ways not already permitted under CC-BY-NC, please consult the copyright owner. Other materials are made available here through the author’s grant of a non-exclusive license to make their work openly accessible.