Food Paper Products Treated with Fluorotelomer-Based Surfactants and Their Fate in Compost Systems.

Food paper products treated with fluorotelomer-based surfactants and their fate in compost systems Surface active agents, or surfactants, prevent liquids from penetrating and soiling surfaces that would otherwise be absorbent (e.g. textiles and paper). An effective class of surfactants is based upon fluorine chemistry, commonly known as fluorosurfactants. The ability of fluorine to create stable, heat resistant and greaseproof barriers makes these surfactants indispensable to the food packaging and paper industry. The cost of such stability becomes apparent when examining the persistent and bioaccumulative nature of the degradation products of fluorosurfactants. Commonly known as PFOS and PFOA, these acids result from fluorosurfactant degradation and are linked to cancer and birth defects. Since 2006 the U.S. fluorosurfactant industry began phasing out the chemistries with know PFOS and PFOA break-down products. This transition was successful due to high quality alternatives with fewer environmental effects. However, the degradation research is still limited, as is the understanding of environmental and biological impacts. In an attempt to close the research gap, I propose a project that would evaluate the fate of food packaging under controlled composting conditions. This project would examine the disintegration potential of paper packaging treated with a fluorosurfactant as well as determine the chemical fate of the fluorosurfactant and its break-down products in the compost.