| Summary: | Perfluoroalkyl substances are man-made chemicals that have been widely used in industrial processes and military operations since World War II. While the exact toxicology of these substances has not been deciphered, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been linked to liver, kidney, and testicular cancer, as well as hypertension and low birth weight in children. Additionally, PFOA is persistent in the environment and is transported globally, as it is enriched in sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles over the Arctic Ocean. We aim to characterize the surface activity of PFOA at SSA proxy surfaces to better understand the pollutant enrichment in SSA particles. Surface tensiometry and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy are used to determine the surface adsorption constants via fitting to the Langmuir-Szyswkoski equation. PFOA exhibits enhanced surface activity in the presence of seawater cations in the low concentration regime, and decreased surface activity in the high PFOA concentration regime. It is speculated that the critical micelle concentration of PFOA is changing in response to the addition of seawater cations. Further study is underway to characterize the interfacial packing structure of the surfactant monolayer and the effect that the seawater cations have on the 2-dimensional arrangement of the PFOA molecules at the air-water interface. Future studies involve determining the impacts of dissolved organic compounds on the interfacial activity of PFOA at SSA proxy surfaces. A one-year embargo was granted for this item. Academic Major: Biochemistry Academic Major: Public Health
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