Warning! Unfortunately your browser has disabled scripting. Please enable it in order to display this page.
 

GenX Contamination Detected in Drinking Water | Wellington Laboratories | Greyhound Chromatography

Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) (GenX) Contamination Detected in Drinking Water

 

As an essential nutrient required for life all around the world our drinking water is constantly tested for contaminants that may affect the health of the population.  Not only tested for human consumption our waters are tested for the effects on animals and our general environment.   Depending on their concentration, individual substances dissolved in water can be toxic and even irreversibly impair people’s health. Very slight concentrations are all it takes for a number of contaminants to have a toxic effect.

The recent detection of GenX, manufactured by Chemours, in the Cape Fear River, Wilmington, N.C. USA has prompted widespread analysis of drinking water for this contaminant in the US and Europe.

Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) is a well-known versatil synthetic building block in the manufacturing of fluoropolymers (such as perfluoroalkoxy plastics) as well as a number of poly and per-fluorinated intermediates.  Although it is used to produce a vast number of commercial products, its reactivity makes its survival in the environment unlikely.  However, HFPO can react to form a stable dimer acid during oligomerization, or other manufacturing processes, which could lead to its detection in environmental samples.  The presence of this HFPO dimer acid (HFPO-DA) in the environment could be due to residual leaching from commercial products or direct release during the manufacturing processes.  GenX  is used in the production of fluoropolymers (eg Teflon) and is used as a replacement for PFOA.

Pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act regarding a “substantial risk of injury to health or the environment” the EPA has stated that it had concerns that GenX “will persist in the environment, could bioaccumulate, and be toxic to people, wild mammals, and birds. . . . There is high concern for possible environmental effects over the long-term . . .and the EPA has human health concerns.”

For this reason, Wellington Laboratories synthesized a native and mass-labelled (13C) hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid reference standard, HFPO-DA and M3HFPO-DA respectively in 2013, in anticipation of the emerging problems of contamination and to aid researchers in their quantification of this potential environmental contaminant.

 

 

Buy On-line at www.greyhoundchrom.com

HFPO-DA  2,3,3,3 - Tetrafluoro-2(1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropoxy) propanic acid

 

M3HFPO-DA  2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoro-2-(1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropoxy) - 13C3-propanoic acid

 

Wellington Reporter Native and Mass-Labelled Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid  

 

         Greyhound Chromatography Logo

Wellington Laboratories and Greyhound Chromatography working in partnership to bring Testing and Analysis Laboratories the best Reference Standards and Materials on the market.

For Over 35 years Wellington Laboratories Inc. and Greyhound Chromatography have been internationally recognised as trusted sources of high quality reference standard solutions for use in environmental / analytical testing and toxicological research.

Wellington Laboratories offers an extensive inventory of individual certified reference standards and solution mixtures of native and mass-labelled halogenated organic compounds including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, halogenated flame retardants and perfluorinated compounds. Wellington Laboratories also offer a variety of calibration sets and support solutions designed to be used for common regulatory methods or modified in-house methods.

CONTACT US   

Tel:        +44 (0) 151 649 4000   

Web:     www.greyhoundchrom.com   

Email:   marketing@greyhoundchrom.com   

FOLLOW US   

Facebook Icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon    

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN OUR NEWSLETTER   

SIGN UP HERE   

Greyhound Monthly Newsletter   

CATALOGUE DOWNLOADS   

Greyhound Q-Fil catalogue  Greyhound reference standards guide   Trajan GC Supplies catalogue 

 Greyhound Chromatography Q-Range Vials Catalogue Image     Chem Service Catalogue Image  Chem Service Pesticides Catalogue Image

Wellington Laboratories Catalogue Image            PFAS EBook  PFAS Environmental EBook

                Wellington Perfluoroalkyl Compounds

Dandy Vice Brochure  Chem Service Catalogue  

 

About the Author

Susan MAssie, Marketing Director Greyhound Chromatography Image

Susan Massie, Sales & Marketing Director, Greyhound Chromatography and Allied Chemicals Email: sue@greyhoundchrom.com

Susan Massie is the Sales & Marketing Director for Greyhound Chromatography and Allied Chemicals, affectionately known as 'Greyhound' in our scientific community. Greyhound was founded by Susan's husband Paul Massie more than 40 years ago, Susan hasn't been in the business for all of that time but has been involved with Greyhound for over 17 years. Greyhound continues to grow, expanding into new markets and taking on the challenges of our ever changing environment. It's heartwarming to witness the world waking up to the fact that we are damaging our planet on a daily basis. Every action we take has a direct effect on our planet and the world we leave behind for future generations. Susan is passionate about climate change and is happy to work in an industry that can have a direct effect on reducing the impact of our actions on the environment. All of the team at Greyhound take our responsibilities very seriously, the products that we supply are used by the world's leading scientists and chemists as they endeavour to monitor and repair the environment. All is not lost, if we all take responsibility for our actions, from reducing our waste and reusing or recycling our material collateral we can make a difference. The internet is full of useful advice and guidance, Susan is proud to contribute to that wealth of knowledge whenever she can.

Greyhound prides itself on personal service which provides prompt, efficient, cost-effective, safe delivery of all products. Greyhound provides technical advice and distribution of Certified Reference Standards and Materials, Laboratory Consumables, Solvents and Reagents across all scientific disciplines. Greyhound Chromatography offers over 1 Million products from its UK warehouse. The team at Greyhound are proud to support the work of the world's leading scientists and chemists as they challenge the abuse of our planet and try to make a difference to the world we leave behind for our ancestors.

You can view Susan's Linked In Profile here https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-massie-79ab4121/