Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder conducted a field study in Oklahoma that uncovered MCCP’s in the U.S. for the first time
University of Colorado Boulder researchers were conducting a field study in Oklahoma’s farmlands to examine how airborne particles form and evolve when they made the unexpected discovery.
Researchers in the Southwest have, for the first time, discovered a specific group of toxic airborne particles in the U.S.
University of Colorado Boulder researchers were conducting a field study in Oklahoma’s farmlands to examine how airborne particles form and evolve when they made the unexpected discovery.
Their research led them to uncover the first airborne detection of Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (MCCPs), a type of toxic organic pollutant, in the Western Hemisphere, and they published their findings in ACS Environmental Au Journal.
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The findings came from continuous air monitoring at the Oklahoma site.
The team used a nitrate chemical ionization mass spectrometer, a sensitive instrument that can identify specific compounds in the air. The researchers diligently collected measurements nonstop for a month.
Daniel Katz, CU Boulder chemistry PhD student and lead author of the study, analyzed the data. He identified unusual isotopic patterns that did not match known compounds. Following additional investigations, those patterns were linked to chlorinated paraffins associated with MCCPs.
First-of-its-kind finding in the Western Hemisphere
This recent study is significant because scientists have faced challenges in measuring MCCPs in the air across the Western Hemisphere. The pollutants were previously found in areas such as Antarctica and Asia.
MCCPs are currently under evaluation for potential regulation under the Stockholm Convention, an international agreement that aims to protect human health from chemicals.
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MCCPs are industrial chemicals often used as flame retardants and plasticizers(Image: Getty Images)
What are MCCPs?
MCCPs are industrial chemicals often used as flame retardants and plasticizers. They often turn up in wastewater and biosolid fertilizer, also known as sewage sludge, which is produced during wastewater treatment.
The researchers believe the MCCPs they detected in Oklahoma likely originated from nearby fields where this type of fertilizer had been applied.
MCCPs share similar properties to Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs), which are regulated under the Stockholm Convention and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 2009.
Earlier regulations were enacted based on evidence that SCCPs can travel long distances, persist in the environment, and pose risks to human health.
However, researchers believe that restrictions on SCCPs may have prompted industries to substitute them with MCCPs, leading to increased levels of these related chemicals.
Katz noted that MCCPs share similarities with PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of over 10,000 synthetic, highly persistent “forever chemicals” used since the 1950s for their water, stain, and grease-resistant properties in products like non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, and food packaging.
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They do not easily break down, accumulating in the environment and human bodies.
Concerns about PFAS contamination in soil prompted the Oklahoma Senate to recently ban biosolid fertilizer.
With breakthroughs in detecting MCCPs in the atmosphere, researchers are now planning to investigate them further to understand how their levels change over time.