A surprise discovery in Oklahoma farmland has revealed a previously unmeasured toxic chemical drifting through the air—marking the first airborne detection of this pollutant in the Western Hemisphere.
Key Points at a Glance
- Researchers detected Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (MCCPs) in Oklahoma air for the first time
- MCCPs are toxic, long-lasting pollutants similar to PFAS and under global regulatory scrutiny
- The chemicals likely originated from biosolid fertilizer spread on agricultural fields
- Discovery was made using high-resolution chemical ionization mass spectrometry
- Study may influence environmental policy and toxic substance regulation
In an unexpected twist, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder detected Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (MCCPs)—a class of toxic, persistent industrial chemicals—in the atmosphere above Oklahoma farmland. The finding, published in ACS Environmental Au, is the first airborne measurement of MCCPs in the Western Hemisphere.
“It’s very exciting as a scientist to find something unexpected like this that we weren’t even looking for,” said Daniel Katz, the study’s lead author and PhD student in chemistry at CU Boulder. The detection occurred during a field campaign designed to monitor aerosol formation on agricultural land, using advanced mass spectrometry equipment.
MCCPs are used in metalworking, PVC manufacturing, and textiles. They often enter the environment through wastewater, accumulating in biosolid fertilizers made from sewage sludge. Researchers suspect that these fertilizers, spread on fields near the monitoring site, are the likely source of airborne MCCPs.
“When sewage sludges are spread across fields, toxic compounds like MCCPs could be released into the air,” said Katz. “We can’t prove the source directly, but this is a reasonable and likely explanation.”
Regulators have long been aware of the dangers posed by similar compounds. Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs), the molecular cousins of MCCPs, were banned in the U.S. in 2009 and are restricted under the Stockholm Convention. But banning SCCPs may have inadvertently driven an increase in MCCP use.
“We always see this kind of substitution,” noted chemistry professor and co-author Ellie Browne. “You ban one chemical, and it’s replaced with another that’s often just as problematic.”
Using a nitrate chemical ionization mass spectrometer, the CU Boulder team recorded atmospheric samples around the clock for one month. As Katz analyzed the data, he spotted unfamiliar isotopic patterns—ones that turned out to be MCCPs. These compounds, like PFAS “forever chemicals,” degrade very slowly and can persist in the environment for years.
This discovery adds urgency to environmental monitoring and regulation. It also sheds light on potential risks associated with biosolid fertilizers, especially in light of Oklahoma’s recent move to ban them after PFAS contamination concerns.
“We’ve only just begun to understand how MCCPs behave in the air,” said Katz. “We now need year-round studies to track seasonal trends and further research on their health and environmental effects.”
As researchers call for further investigation, this unexpected discovery serves as a reminder of how scientific curiosity—and high-resolution data—can help us uncover the invisible threats in our environment.
Source: CIRES at CU Boulder
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