Concerns regarding the persistence, bioaccumulation behaviour, and toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid have resulted in the creation of thousands of replacement perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This study reports on the discovery of fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEO) in indoor dust (9/15 samples), and industrial effluents (14/37 samples) using gas chromatographic cyclic ion mobility mass spectrometry (GC-cIMS). By filtering the detected unknowns by mass and collision-cross section, a series of FTEO homologues were revealed with the formula F-(CF₂)_n(C₂H₄O)_xH, where n = 6,8,10, and x = 4–12. The highest concentrations were observed in samples collected from healthcare facilities, consistent with the potential use of these compounds in anti-fog products, sprays used to prevent condensation on eyeglasses. FTEOs were also detected in c. 40 % of industrial effluent samples, with the highest concentrations in electroplating facilities, manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products, and linen cleaning services for healthcare and work uniforms. These results suggest that FTEOs may well be widespread pollutants that are more persistent than previously thought, underlining the need for further study of their occurrence and potential impact to human health and the environment.

对全氟辛酸和全氟辛烷磺酸的持久性、生物蓄积行为和毒性的担忧导致产生了数千种替代全氟烷基物质 (PFAS)。本研究报告了使用气相色谱循环离子淌度质谱法 (GC-cIMS) 在室内灰尘（9/15 样品）和工业废水（14/37 样品）中发现氟调聚乙氧基化物 (FTEO)。通过按质量和碰撞截面过滤检测到的未知物，揭示了一系列 FTEO 同系物，其分子式为 F-(CF ₂ ) _n (C ₂ H ₄ O) _xH，其中 n = 6、8、10，且 x = 4–12。在从医疗机构收集的样本中观察到最高浓度，这与这些化合物在防雾产品（用于防止眼镜上凝结的喷雾剂）中的潜在用途一致。在 c 中也检测到 FTEO。40% 的工业废水样本，浓度最高的是电镀设施、化妆品和个人护理产品制造商，以及医疗保健和工作服的布草清洁服务。这些结果表明，FTEO 很可能是比以前认为的更持久的广泛存在的污染物，强调需要进一步研究它们的发生及其对人类健康和环境的潜在影响。