Benchtop 19F NMR spectroscopy as a practical tool for testing of remedial technologies for the degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid, a persistent organic pollutant

The development of effective remedial technologies for the destruction of environmental pollutants requires the ability to clearly monitor degradation processes. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for understanding reaction progress; however, practical considerations often restrict the application of NMR spectroscopy as a tool to better understand the degradation of environmental pollutants. Chief among these restrictions is the limited access smaller environmental research labs and remediation companies have to suitable NMR facilities. Benchtop NMR spectroscopy is a low-cost and user-friendly approach to acquire much of the same information as conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, albeit with reduced sensitivity and resolution. This paper explores the practical application of benchtop NMR spectroscopy to understand the degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid using sodium persulfate, a common reagent for the destruction of groundwater contaminants. It is found that Benchtop 19F NMR spectroscopy is able to monitor the complete degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid into fluoride; however, the observation of intermediate degradation products formed, which can be observed using a conventional NMR spectrometer, cannot be readily distinguished from the parent compound when measurements are performed using the benchtop instrument. Under certain reaction conditions, the formation of fluorinated structures that are resistant to further degradation is readily observed. Overall, it is shown that benchtop 19F NMR spectroscopy has potential as a quick and reliable tool to assist in the development of remedial technologies for the degradation of fluorinated contaminants

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Analysis of Anaerobic Microbial Metabolic Response to Benzalkonium Chloride Disinfectant

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are disinfection agents used in industrial cleaning processes that are known to interfere with the proper functioning of anaerobic waste digestion directly impacting the quality and quantity of the biogas produced (i.e., CO2 and CH4). While the impact of these contaminants on waste digestors are well known, the impact these compounds have on the metabolic profile of an anaerobic digestor is less understood. This paper describes the use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a non-targeted tool to monitor variations in the metabolic profile of anaerobic bioreactor microcosms simulating the treatment of food production wastewater exposed to benzalkonium chloride (BAC), a key QAC. Using NMR, the variation in the metabolic profile of these wastewater microcosms is compared to variations in the quality and quantity of the biogas produced. A clear development of propionic, isobutyric, isovaleric, and other volatile fatty acids (VFAs) is observed indicating a disruption to the overall ability of the system to convert fatty acids to methane. The ability of NMR to successfully identify the overall metabolic profile, the occurrence of the individual VFAs, and the occurrence of BAC itself in one analysis helps to provide valuable information on the metabolic pathways involved in the disruption of these anaerobic processes

Effect of salts and pH on the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from aqueous solutions through precipitation and electroflocculation

This study shows that salt type and pH affect the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water through flocculation and electro-enhanced flocculation. PFOA concentrations decreased by approximately 80% with 20 mM FeCl3 and initial pH = 3–10. Electro-enhanced flocculation at pH = 3 reduced PFOA concentrations in water by approximately 70% with CaCl2 and KCl, and by 50% with NaCl. At alkaline pH, PFOA removal was approximately 20% with CaCl2 and KCl. PFOA removal was negligible without salts or with AlCl3, and with NaCl at alkaline pH. Differences in PFOA removal are likely due to the settling behaviour of the cation-PFOA complexes formed.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Cross polarization-single pulse/magic angle spinning (CPSP/MAS): A robust technique for routine soil analysis by solid-state NMR

International audienceSoils are amongst the largest organic carbon reservoirs on earth containing approximately three times the carbon contained in all living systems and roughly double the amount present in the atmosphere. Soil organic matter is central to agriculture, carbon cycling, and contaminant sequestration, but due to its extreme heterogeneity it is challenging to study with most modern analytical approaches. As such 13C NMR spectroscopy has emerged as an indispensable technique for the characterization of soil organic matter in the solid-state. Single pulse (SP) 13C NMR approaches theoretically provide the highest level of quantitation for soil organic matter, however, due to its relative insensitivity, sample analysis can take a prohibitively long time. Consequently, for routine studies the more sensitive approach of cross-polarization under magic angle spinning conditions (CP/MAS) is more commonly utilized. In particular, 13C CP is extremely useful when low organic carbon content samples are compared and is normally used to reveal the nature, transformations and fate of organic matter in soils. Here, the performance of a novel NMR scheme, which so far has not yet been applied to soils samples, is investigated. The ramp-CPSP scheme adds a SP block to a ramp-CP scheme, taking advantage of both techniques without extending the experimental time. This method shows enhancements higher than 100% for key regions of the 13C spectra and also provides 13C profiles that are closer to quantitative when compared to the widely used ramp-CP scheme. In addition, a critical analysis of these enhancements is presented. Even under the worst case scenario, when the SP element adds little additional signal, the result still reflects the conventional ramp-CP experiment. As such the ramp-CPSP approach can be implemented in a routine fashion without drawback. The results shown here suggest replacing conventional ramp-CP with the ramp-CPSP sequence for routine soil analysis in the solid-state since it can save considerable experimental time and provide a more representative 13C spectrum of the soil in general

In-Situ Molecular-Level Elucidation of Organofluorine Binding Sites in a Whole Peat Soil

The chemical nature of xenobiotic binding sites in soils is of vital importance to environmental biogeochemistry. Interactions between xenobiotics and the naturally occurring organic constituents of soils are strongly correlated to environmental persistence, bioaccessibility, and ecotoxicity. Nevertheless, because of the complex structural and chemical heterogeneity of soils, studies of these interactions are most commonly performed indirectly, using correlative methods, fractionation, or chemical modification. Here we identify the organic components of an unmodified peat soil where some organofluorine xenobiotic compounds interact using direct molecular-level methods. Using ¹⁹F→¹H cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the ¹⁹F nuclei of organofluorine compounds are used to induce observable transverse magnetization in the ¹H nuclei of organic components of the soil with which they interact after sorption. The observed ¹⁹F→¹H CP-MAS spectra and dynamics are compared to those produced using model soil organic compounds, lignin and albumin. It is found that lignin-like components can account for the interactions observed in this soil for heptafluoronaphthol (HFNap) while protein structures can account for the interactions observed for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This study employs novel comprehensive multi-phase (CMP) NMR technology that permits the application of solution-, gel-, and solid-state NMR experiments on intact soil samples in their swollen state