Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43, 7997
Response to Comment on “Indirect Photolysis of Perfluorochemicals: Hydroxyl Radical-Initiated Oxidation of N-Ethyl Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Acetate (N-EtFOSAA) and Other Perfluoroalkanesulfonamides” We appreciate the comment of Rayne and Forest (1), pointing out the likely acidity of the sulfonamide intermediates proposed in our work (2). As they correctly state, we did not perform a study of the pH effects on the reactions we reported. Accordingly, we did not specify the ionization state of the intermediates proposed in our scheme. Similarly, we did not specify a role for other species that are likely present (e.g., aldehyde hydrates) in the absence of data indicating their importance. Rayne and Forest correctly point out that pH may increase or decrease the transformation rates. Unfortunately, the information they provide is not based on experimental data, but on estimation and speculation. We believe that more experimental data is needed before the relative importance of specific ionization states in the reaction manifold can be assessed.
Literature Cited (1) Rayne, S.; Forest, K. Comment on “Indirect Photolysis of Perfluorochemicals: Hydroxyl Radical-Initiated Oxidation of N-Ethyl Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Acetate (N-EtFOSAA) and Other Perfluoroalkanesulfonamides”. Environ. Sci. Technol.
10.1021/es902634x CCC: $40.75
Published on Web 09/18/2009
2009 American Chemical Society
2009, DOI: 10.1021/es9022464. (2) Plumlee, M. H.; McNeill, K.; Reinhard, M. Indirect photolysis of perfluorochemicals: Hydroxyl radical-initiated oxidation of N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetate (N-EtFOSAA) and other perfluoroalkanesulfonamides. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43, 3662–3668.
Megan H. Plumlee Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yang and Yamasaki Environment and Energy Building, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020 Present address: Exponent, 149 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California 94025
Kristopher McNeill Department of Chemistry, 207 Pleasant Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; currently at Exponent, 149 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, California 94025
Martin Reinhard Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yang and Yamasaki Environment and Energy Building, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020 ES902634X
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