trans-1,1,1,3-Tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) are non-ozone-depleting fluorocarbon replacements with low global warming potentials and short atmospheric lifetimes. They are developed as foam blowing agent and refrigerant, respectively. Investigations on biotransformation in different test species and in vitro systems are required to assess possible health risks of human exposure and needed for commercial development. The biotransformation of HFO-1234ze and HFO-1234yf was therefore investigated after inhalation exposure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to air containing 2 000; 10,000; or 50,000 ppm (n=5/concentration) HFO-1234ze or HFO-1234yf. Male B6C3F1 mice were only exposed to 50,000 ppm HFO-1234ze or HFO-1234yf. Due to lethality observed in a developmental study with rabbits after exposure to high concentrations of HFO-1234yf, the metabolic fate of the compound was tested by whole body inhalation exposure of female New Zealand White rabbits to air containing 2 000; 10,000; or 50,000 ppm (n=3/concentration) HFO-1234yf. All inhalation exposures were conducted for 6 h in a dynamic exposure chamber. After the end of the exposures, animals were individually housed in metabolic cages and urines were collected at 6 or 12 h intervals for 48 h (rats and mice) or 60 h (rabbits). For metabolite identification, urine samples were analyzed by 1H-coupled and 1H-decoupled 19F-NMR and by LC/MS-MS or GC/MS. Metabolites were identified by 19F-NMR chemical shifts, signal multiplicity, 1H-19F coupling constants and by comparison with synthetic reference compounds. Biotransformation of HFO-1234ze in rats exposed to 50,000 ppm yielded S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-trans-propenyl)mercaptolactic acid as the predominant metabolite which accounted for 66% of all integrated 19F-NMR signals in urines. No 19F-NMR signals were found in spectra of rat urine samples collected after inhalation exposure to 2 000 or 10,000 ppm HFO-1234ze likely due to insufficient sensitivity. S-(3,3,3-Trifluoro-trans-propenyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-trans-propenyl)-L-cysteine, 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid and 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid were also present as metabolites in urine samples of rats and mice at the 50,000 ppm level. A presumed amino acid conjugate of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid was the major metabolite of HFO-1234ze in urine samples of mice exposed to 50,000 ppm and related to 18% of total integrated 19F-NMR signals. Quantitation of three metabolites in urines of rats and mice was performed, using LC/MS-MS or GC/MS. The quantified amounts of the metabolites excreted with urine in both mice and rats, suggest only a low extent (<<1% of dose received) of biotransformation of HFO-1234ze and 95% of all metabolites were excreted within 18 h after the end of the exposures (t1/2 approx. 6 h). Due to its low boiling point of &#8722;22 °C, most of the inhaled HFO-1234ze is expected to be readily exhaled. Moreover, steric and electronic factors may decrease the reactivity of the parent compound with soft nucleophiles such as glutathione. The obtained results suggest that HFO-1234ze is subjected to an addition-elimination reaction with glutathione and to a cytochrome P450-mediated epoxidation at low rates. The extent of a direct addition reaction of HFO-1234ze with glutathione is negligible, compared to that of the observed addition-elimination reaction. The results of in vivo testing of HFO-1234ze could not be supported by in vitro investigations, since HFO-1234ze was not metabolized in incubations with either liver microsomes or subcellular fractions from rat and human. Regarding the structures delineated in the biotransformation scheme of HFO-1234ze, 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoroepoxypropane and 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid are toxic intermediates which, however, are not supposed to display toxicity in the species after exposure to HFO-1234ze, due to the low extent of formation and an efficient detoxification of the epoxide by hydrolysis and glutathione conjugation. The findings of biotransformation of HFO-1234ze in rats and mice correlate with the absence of adverse effects in the toxicity testings and indicate their innocuousness to a human exposure. Biotransformation of HFO-1234yf yielded N-acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxypropanyl)-L-cysteine as predominat metabolite which accounted for approx. 44, 90 and 32% (50,000 ppm) of total 19F-NMR signal intensities in urine samples from rabbits, rats and mice, respectively. S-(3,3,3-Trifluoro-2-hydroxypropanyl)mercaptolactic acid and the sulfoxides of mercapturic acid and mercaptolactic acid S-conjugate were identified as minor metabolites of HFO-1234yf in urine samples from rabbits, rats and mice, whereas trifluoroacetic acid, 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid and 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-hydroxyacetone were present as minor metabolites only in urine samples from rats and mice. The absence of these metabolites in rabbit urine samples... / trans-1,1,1,3-Tetrafluorpropen (HFO-1234ze) und 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluorpropen (HFO-1234yf) sind FKW-Ersatzstoffe, die eine kurze atmosphärische Lebensdauer besitzen und weder die Ozonschicht beeinträchtigen noch wesentlich zur globalen Erwärmung beitragen. Sie werden derzeit als Treibmittel für Schäume beziehungsweise als Kühlmittel entwickelt. Untersuchungen der Biotransformation in verschiedenen Tierspezies und in in vitro Systemen tragen zur Risikobewertung einer Humanexposition bei und werden für die kommerzielle Entwicklung benötigt. In dieser Arbeit wurde die Biotransformation von HFO-1234ze und HFO-1234yf nach inhalativer Exposition untersucht. Männliche Sprague-Dawley Ratten wurden Luftkonzentrationen von 2.000, 10.000 und 50.000 ppm (n=5/Konzentration) ausgesetzt. Männliche B6C3F1 Mäuse wurden dagegen nur einer Konzentration von 50.000 ppm ausgesetzt. Aufgrund von Todesfällen in einer Entwicklungstoxizitätsstudie mit Kaninchen wurde in dieser Arbeit auch die Biotransformation von HFO-1234yf in weiblichen Kaninchen mit Konzentrationen von 2.000, 10.000 und 50.000 ppm untersucht. Alle Inhalationen dauerten 6 Stunden und fanden in einem dynamisch durchströmten Expositionssystem statt. Nach Ende der Inhalationen wurden die Versuchstiere individuell in Stoffwechselkäfigen untergebracht und ihre Urine in 6 bzw. 12 h Intervallen gesammelt (insgesamt 48 h bei Ratten und Mäusen bzw. 60 h bei Kaninchen). Zur Identifizierung der Metabolite von HFO-1234ze und HFO-1234yf in den Urinen wurden 1H-ge- und entkoppelte 19F-NMR-Spektren aufgezeichnet und massenspektrometrische Untersuchungen mittels LC/MS-MS oder GC/MS durchgeführt. Die Metaboliten wurden anhand ihrer 19F-NMR-Charakteristika (Chemische Verschiebung, Signalmultiplizität und 1H-19F Kopplungskonstante) und durch Vergleich mit ihren synthetischen Referenzverbindungen identifiziert. In Ratten, die einer Konzentration von 50.000 ppm HFO-1234ze ausgesetzt worden waren, konnte S-(3,3,3-Trifluor-trans-propenyl)merkaptolaktat als Hauptmetabolit nachgewiesen werden. Er machte 66% aller integrierten 19F-NMR-Signale aus. In 19F-NMR-Spektren von Rattenurinen der 2.000 und 10.000 ppm Expositionen konnten dagegen keine Signale detektiert werden, wahrscheinlich wegen unzureichender Empfindlichkeit der 19F-NMR-Messungen. Als Nebenprodukte von HFO-1234ze in Ratten- und Mäuseurinen wurden S-(3,3,3-Trifluor-trans-propenyl)-L-cystein, N-Acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluor-trans-propenyl)-L-cystein, 3,3,3-Trifluorpropion-säure und 3,3,3-Trifluorlaktat nachgewiesen. In Mäuseurinen war der Hauptmetabolit von HFO-1234ze ein vermutetes Aminosäurekonjugat von 3,3,3-Trifluorpropion-säure, auf das 18% aller integrierten 19F-NMR Signalintensitäten entfielen. In den Urinen von Ratten und Mäusen wurden 3 Metabolite mittels LC/MS-MS oder GC/MS quantifiziert. Die ermittelten Mengen weisen auf eine sehr niedrige Biotransformationsrate von HFO-1234ze hin (<<1% der verabreichten Dosis). 95% aller Metabolite wurden innerhalb von 18 h nach Ende der Inhalationen ausgeschieden (t1/2 ca. 6 h). Aufgrund des niedrigen Siedepunkts von &#8722;22°C wird ein Großteil des aufgenommen Gases möglicherweise rasch wieder exhaliert, und sterische sowie elektronische Faktoren könnten die Reaktivität der Ausgangsverbindung mit schwachen Nukleophilen wie Glutathion senken. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass HFO-1234ze in geringem Ausmaß durch Additions-Eliminations Reaktion mit Glutathion und einer CYP450-vermittelten Epoxidierung biotransformiert wird. Das Ausmaß einer direkten Additions Reaktion von HFO-1234ze mit Glutathion ist verglichen mit der vorherrschenden Additions-Eliminations Reaktion vernachlässigbar. Da kein Umsatz von HFO-1234ze in Inkubationen mit Rettenlebermikrosomen oder subzellulären Fraktionen von Human- und Rattenleber stattfand, konnten die in vivo Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit nicht mit in vitro Untersuchungen verglichen werden. Im Biotransformationsschema von HFO-1234ze sind 1,1,1,3-Tetrafluorepoxypropan und 3,3,3-Trifluorpropionsäure toxische Intermediate, die jedoch aufgrund der geringen gebildeten Mengen und einer effektiven Entgiftung des Epoxids durch Glutathionkonjugation keine toxischen Effekte in den verwendeten Tierspezies auslösten. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung der Biotransformation von HFO-1234ze in Ratten und Mäusen korrelieren mit der Abwesenheit nachteiliger Effekte in den Toxizitätsstudien und lassen eine Humanexposition gegenüber HFO-1234ze als unbedenklich erscheinen. Bei der Biotransformation von HFO-1234yf entstand N-Acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluor-2-hydroxypropanyl)-L-cystein...

Deposition of thin films is one of the most widespread applications used for the changes of surface properties of various materials. This diploma thesis is focused on diagnosing of thin film generated by a PECVD technique. The capacitively coupled RF discharge at low pressure was used for the thin films deposition using tetrafluoromethane (CF4) with addition of hydrogen (H2) as a precursor. The aim of the work was the search of optimal conditions for a hydrophobic thin layer preparation on the surface of polymer NOA. The depositions were performed in continuous and pulsed mode with different duty cycle. The discharge was monitored using optical emission spectroscopy and in situ mass spectrometry. Thin films structure and properties were characterized using water contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and optical ellipsometry. The influence of varying power, gas mixture composition and discharge mode were investigated. Water contact angle was the highest for a deposition in a continuous mode. Decomposition processes inside the reactor were observed by using mass spectrometry and optical emission spektrokopie. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided information about the chemical bonds represented on the surface of sample. These were mainly C – C/C – H, C – O, O = C - O groups for sample without layer. Other chemical bonds were observed after the deposition. These were mainly C – CF, CF2 and CF3 groups. The film thickness of about 8,2 nanometers was measured by optical ellipsometry. The obtained results may be used as a fundament for further more advanced study of plasma chemically prepared thin fluorocarbon films and their properties.

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), in particular perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) have been found in aquatic environments throughout the world. Recent studies have reported that owing to their bioaccumulative nature, PFCs may also be present in various water sources, resulting in human and wild-life exposure. Although, these PFCs usually occur at low concentration levels, their presence in the environment has nevertheless been a concern in both developed and developing countries, since water remains an important natural resource for most living species. Water and sediment from rivers are one of the matrices in which PFC contamination is studied, since rivers receive water from various sources. However, limited studies have been conducted in South Africa on PFC contamination of river water and sediments. Although PFCs are sometimes unintentionally released into the environment, the concentration and type of PFCs that contaminate water sources vary among countries and depend on the types of industry releasing them into the environment, suggesting that PFC contamination patterns can be expected to differ from country to country, with PFOA and PFOS being the predominant perfluorinated contaminants. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the concentration of PFOS and PFOA in riparian wetlands of the Western Cape, focusing on the Eerste, Diep and Salt rivers, which are the primary rivers in the largest catchment areas of the Western Cape, South Africa.