The gas phase tropospheric removal of fluoroaldehydes (CxF2x+1CHO, x = 3, 4, 6)

Atmospheric oxidation of fluoroalcohols initiated by ˙OH radicals in the presence of water and mineral dusts: mechanism, kinetics, and risk assessment

The transport and formation of fluorinated compounds are greatly significant due to their possible environmental risks. In this work, the ˙OH-mediated degradation of CF3CF2CF2CH2OH and CF3CHFCF2CH2OH in the presence of O2/NO/NO2 was studied by using density functional theory and the direct kinetic method. The formation mechanisms of perfluorocarboxylic/hydroperfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs/H-PFCAs), which were produced from the reactions of α-hydroxyperoxy radicals with NO/NO2 and the ensuing oxidation of α-hydroxyalkoxy radicals, were clarified and discussed. The roles of water and silica particles in the rate constants and ˙OH reaction mechanism with fluoroalcohols were investigated theoretically. The results showed that water and silica particles do not alter the reaction mechanism but obviously change the kinetic properties. Water could retard fluoroalcohol degradation by decreasing the rate constants by 3-5 orders of magnitude. However, the heterogeneous ˙OH-rate coefficients on the silica particle surfaces, including H4SiO4, H6Si2O7, and H12Si6O18, are larger than that of the naked reaction by 1.20-24.50 times. This finding suggested that these heterogeneous reactions may be responsible for the atmospheric loss of fluoroalcohols and the burden of PFCAs. In addition, fluoroalcohols could be exothermically trapped by H12Si6O18, H6Si2O7, and H4SiO4, in which the chemisorption on H12Si6O18 is stronger than that on H6Si2O7 or H4SiO4. The global warming potentials and radiative forcing of CF3CF2CF2CH2OH/CF3CHFCF2CH2OH were calculated to assess their contributions to the greenhouse effect. The toxicities of individual species were also estimated via the ECOSAR program and experimental measurements. This work enhances the understanding of the environmental formation of PFCAs and the transformation of fluoroalcohols.

Atmospheric Degradation Initiated by OH Radicals of the Potential Foam Expansion Agent, CF3(CF2)2CH═CH2 (HFC-1447fz): Kinetics and Formation of Gaseous Products and Secondary Organic Aerosols

The assessment of the atmospheric impact of the potential foam expansion agent, CF3(CF2)2CH═CH2 (HFC-1447fz), requires the knowledge of its degradation routes, oxidation products, and radiative properties. In this paper, the gas-phase reactivity of HFC-1447fz with OH radicals is presented as a function of temperature, obtaining kOH (T = 263-358 K) = (7.4 ± 0.4) × 10(-13)exp{(161 ± 16)/T} (cm(3)·molecule(-1)·s(-1)) (uncertainties: ±2σ). The formation of gaseous oxidation products and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) from the OH + HFC-1447fz reaction was investigated in the presence of NOx at 298 K. CF3(CF2)2CHO was observed at low- and high-NOx conditions. Evidence of SOA formation (ultrafine particles in the range 10-100 nm) is reported with yields ranging from 0.12 to 1.79%. In addition, the absolute UV (190-368 nm) and IR (500-4000 cm(-1)) absorption cross-sections of HFC-1447fz were determined at room temperature. No appreciable absorption in the solar actinic region (λ > 290 nm) was observed, leaving the removal by OH radicals as the main atmospheric loss process for HFC-1447fz. The major contribution of the atmospheric loss of HFC-1447fz is due to OH reaction (84%), followed by ozone (10%) and chlorine atoms (6%). Correction of the instantaneous radiative efficiency (0.36 W m(-2)·ppbv(-1)) with the relatively short lifetime of HFC-1447fz (ca. 8 days) implies that its global warming potential at a time horizon of 100 year is negligible (0.19) compared to that of HCFC-141b (782) and to that of modern foam-expansion blowing agents (148, 882, and 804 for HFC-152a, HFC-245fa and HFC-365mfc, respectively).

Atmospheric chemistry of n-C6F13CH2CHO: formation from n-C6F13CH2CH2OH, kinetics, and mechanisms of reactions with chlorine atoms and OH radicals

Smog chamber FTIR techniques were used to measure k(Cl + n-C(6)F(13)CH(2)CHO) = (1.84 +/- 0.22) x 10(-11), k(Cl + n-C(6)F(13)CHO) = (1.75 +/- 0.70) x 10(-12), and k(OH + n-C(6)F(13)CH(2)CHO) = (2.15 +/- 0.26) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) in 700 Torr of N(2) or air diluent at 296 +/- 2K. The chlorine-atom-initiated oxidation of n-C(6)F(13)CH(2)CH(2)OH in air gives n-C(6)F(13)CH(2)CHO in a molar yield of 99 +/- 8%. The atmospheric fate of n-C(6)F(13)CH(2)C(O) radicals is reaction with O(2), while the fate of n-C(6)F(13)C(O) radicals is decomposition to give n-C(6)F(13) radicals and CO. The results are discussed with respect to the atmospheric chemistry of fluorinated alcohols and the formation of perfluorocarboxylic acids.

Atmospheric perfluorinated acid precursors: chemistry, occurrence, and impacts

Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) can be found from the hydrolysis of perfluoroacyl fluorides and chlorides, which can be produced in three separate ways in the atmosphere. Alternatively, PFCAs can be formed directly in the gas phase through reaction of perfluoroacyl peroxy radicals or perfluorinated aldehyde hydrates. All five mechanisms have been elucidated using smog chamber techniques. Yields of the PFCAs from this process vary from less than 10% to greater than 100%, depending on the mechanism. The formation of perfluorosulfonic acids in the atmosphere can also occur, though the mechanism has not been entirely elucidated. A large number of compounds have been confirmed as perfluorinated acid precursors, including CFC-replacement compounds, anesthetics, fluorotelomer compounds, and perfluorosulfonamides. Levels of some of these compounds have been measured in the atmosphere, but concentration for the majority have yet to be detected. It is clear that atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursors contributes to the overall burden of PFAs, though the extent to which this occurs is compound and environment dependent and is difficult to assess accurately.

Estimated congener specific gas-phase atmospheric behavior and fractionation of perfluoroalkyl compounds: rates of reaction with atmospheric oxidants, air-water partitioning, and wet/dry deposition lifetimes

A quantitative structure-activity model has been validated for estimating congener specific gas-phase hydroxyl radical reaction rates for perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs), carboxylic acids (PFCAs), aldehydes (PFAls) and dihydrates, fluorotelomer olefins (FTOls), alcohols (FTOHs), aldehydes (FTAls), and acids (FTAcs), and sulfonamides (SAs), sulfonamidoethanols (SEs), and sulfonamido carboxylic acids (SAAs), and their alkylated derivatives based on calculated semi-empirical PM6 method ionization potentials. Corresponding gas-phase reaction rates with nitrate radicals and ozone have also been estimated using the computationally derived ionization potentials. Henry's law constants for these classes of perfluorinated compounds also appear to be reasonably approximated by the SPARC software program, thereby allowing estimation of wet and dry atmospheric deposition rates. Both congener specific gas-phase atmospheric and air-water interface fractionation of these compounds is expected, complicating current source apportionment perspectives and necessitating integration of such differential partitioning influences into future multimedia models. The findings will allow development and refinement of more accurate and detailed local through global scale atmospheric models for the atmospheric fate of perfluoroalkyl compounds.