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Schröder T, Müller V, Preihs M, Borovička J, Gonzalez de Vega R, Kindness A, Feldmann J. Fluorine mass balance analysis in wild boar organs from the Bohemian Forest National Park. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171187. [PMID: 38408678 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Wild boars have been reported as bioindicators for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a variety of studies. However, data about PFAS levels in wild boars from sites with limited industrial and general human activity is scarce. In this study, wild boar (Sus scrofa) organs from the Bohemian Forest National Park (Czech Republic) were used as bioindicators for PFAS pollution. In this work, 29 livers and 24 kidneys from 30 wild boars (0.5-5 years) were investigated using a fluorine mass balance approach. For this, the samples were measured using high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS), targeting 30 PFAS, including legacy and replacement PFAS, direct total oxidisable precursor assay (dTOPA) and combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) from C7 to C14 and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in >50 % of samples. In the livers, PFCAs dominated the profile with median concentrations of 230 μg/kg for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and 75 μg/kg perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA and PFNA concentrations in the livers were one order of magnitude higher than in livers from wild boars caught in rural NE Germany considered as background concentration. PFOS in liver contributed only 30 % to the Σc(PFASTarget) with a median concentration of 170 μg/kg. Kidneys and livers contain an average of 2460 μg F/kg and 6800 μg F/kg extractable organic fluorine (EOF) respectively. Σc(PFASTarget) add up to a maximum of 10 % of the extractable organic fluorine. After oxidisation of the samples, PFOA, PFNA and Σc(PFASdTOPA) increased in livers, but could not explain the EOF. The elevated concentration of PFOA and PFNA may indicate differences in biomagnification for different habitats or an unidentified PFAS source in proximity to the national park.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Schröder
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Viktoria Müller
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria; The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Preihs
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Jan Borovička
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, CZ-16500 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Raquel Gonzalez de Vega
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andrew Kindness
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom; University of KwaZulu Natal, School of Chemistry & Physics, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, ZA-4000 Durban, South Africa
| | - Jörg Feldmann
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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2
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Anderson RH, Modiri M. Application of Gaussian mixture models to quantify the upper background threshold for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in U.S. surface soil. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:229. [PMID: 38306000 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Studies on the occurrence and environmental distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have clearly demonstrated their ubiquity in surface soil as a result of historic and ongoing emissions from various manufacturing and industrial activities worldwide. Given global efforts to characterize and mitigate risk from point source-impacted sites, there is, thus, an urgent need to quantify nonpoint source threshold concentrations (i.e., background) to support site management decisions particularly for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) as a top priority. Accordingly, this study evaluated the application of Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) fitted to log-transformed PFOS concentrations using nation-wide metadata consisting of thousands of surface soil samples representative of both background and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) impacts with unknown proportion. Multiple GMMs were fitted for a given number of components using different methods to account for bias associated with a marginal non-detect fraction (n = 8%) including exclusion, substitution, and imputation. Careful evaluation of the rate of change among multiple goodness-of-fit measures universally justified fitting a 2-component GMM; thus, discriminating between background and AFFF-impacted samples among the metadata. Background threshold PFOS concentrations were defined as the intersection of the probability density functions and ranged between 1.9 and 13.8 µg/kg within a broader concentration range extending up to ~ 50,000 µg/kg reflecting AFFF impacts. By demonstrating an innovative statistical approach that intelligently incorporates different criteria for model selection, this research makes significant contributions to risk mitigation efforts at point source-impacted sites and lays the groundwork for future targeted regulatory actions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahsa Modiri
- EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc, PCB, Hunt Valley, MD, 21031, USA
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3
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Berthou M, Gérard V, Pélingre M, Bagard A, Batteux TL, Losfeld G. Is it raining PFAS in France? An analysis of 52 PFAS at nanogram per liter levels in French rainwaters during autumn season. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2024; 53:123-132. [PMID: 37888768 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of increasing concern due to their pervasive nature, high persistence, and their impacts on human health and the environment. Many studies have attempted to assess the presence of PFAS along the water cycle, but few have analyzed rainwater PFAS content and its contribution to water contamination. The present study aims to improve knowledge by providing the first analysis of PFAS rainwater samples from France. A total of 52 PFAS were analyzed at nanogram per liter levels in rainwater samples collected in 14 locations in France using a cutting-edge liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for multiresidue determination. Depending on the quantity of rainwater collected, the PFAS concentrations were analyzed either by direct injection or after solid-phase extraction (SPE), allowing to quantify 20 PFAS with a limit of quantification (LOQ) ≤ 100 ng/L and 52 PFAS with a LOQ ≤ 1 ng/L, respectively. For the five locations for which the collected samples were analyzed by direct injection, no PFAS could be detected (i.e., their concentrations in the samples were below the LOQs of the method). The samples from four locations out of the nine analyzed by SPE-LC/MS/MS show results above the method's LOQs for up to 10 PFAS. Among the quantified PFAS, three compounds (perfluorononanoic acid, perfluoroundecanoic acid, and perfluorohexanoic acid) have been found to be of most significance. These results bring out the presence of PFAS in rainwater samples in France, highlighting the need for PFAS environmental surveillance and risk assessment and the necessity of continuous improvement of existing analysis methods.
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Kourtchev I, Hellebust S, Heffernan E, Wenger J, Towers S, Diapouli E, Eleftheriadis K. A new on-line SPE LC-HRMS method for the analysis of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in PM 2.5 and its application for screening atmospheric particulates from Dublin and Enniscorthy, Ireland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 835:155496. [PMID: 35483471 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A sensitive analytical method has been developed and validated for the determination of 16 polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) using on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) - negative electrospray ionisation high resolution mass spectrometry (-) ESI-HRMS. On-line SPE allows simultaneous sample clean-up from interfering matrices and lower limits of detection (LODs) by injecting a large volume of sample into the LC system without compromising chromatographic efficiency and resolution. The method provides LODs in the range 0.08-0.5 pg/mL of sample extract allowing detection of selected PFAS in aerosol particles at low fg/m3 level and showed good tolerance to the considered PM matrix. The validated method was applied for analysis of PFAS in ambient PM2.5 samples collected at two urban locations in Ireland, i.e., Enniscorthy and Dublin. Several PFAS were observed above the detection limit, including perfluorobutyrate (PFBA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (L-PFBS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), as well as fluorotelomer sulfonates: 4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS and 8:2 FTS. The results indicate that some toxic PFAS, such as PFOS and PFOA, are still detected in the environment despite being phased out from production and subject to restricted use in the EU and USA for more than two decades. Observation of fluorotelomer sulfonates (4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS and 8:2 FTS, which are used as alternatives for legacy PFOA and PFOS) in ambient PM2.5 samples raises a concern about their persistence in the atmosphere and impact on human health considering emerging evidence that they could have similar health endpoints as PFOA and PFOS. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify PFAS in ambient PM2.5 at urban locations in Ireland and also the first study to detect 4:2 and 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonates in atmospheric aerosol particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Kourtchev
- Centre for Agroecology Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Wolston Lane, Ryton on Dunsmore CV8 3LG, UK.
| | - Stig Hellebust
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eimear Heffernan
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John Wenger
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sam Towers
- Centre for Agroecology Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University, Wolston Lane, Ryton on Dunsmore CV8 3LG, UK
| | - Evangelia Diapouli
- ERL, Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Science & Technology, Energy & Safety, NCSR Demokritos, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
- ERL, Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Science & Technology, Energy & Safety, NCSR Demokritos, 15310 Athens, Greece
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Cousins IT, Johansson JH, Salter ME, Sha B, Scheringer M. Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11172-11179. [PMID: 35916421 PMCID: PMC9387091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
It is hypothesized that environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) defines a separate planetary boundary and that this boundary has been exceeded. This hypothesis is tested by comparing the levels of four selected perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) (i.e., perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)) in various global environmental media (i.e., rainwater, soils, and surface waters) with recently proposed guideline levels. On the basis of the four PFAAs considered, it is concluded that (1) levels of PFOA and PFOS in rainwater often greatly exceed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisory levels and the sum of the aforementioned four PFAAs (Σ4 PFAS) in rainwater is often above Danish drinking water limit values also based on Σ4 PFAS; (2) levels of PFOS in rainwater are often above Environmental Quality Standard for Inland European Union Surface Water; and (3) atmospheric deposition also leads to global soils being ubiquitously contaminated and to be often above proposed Dutch guideline values. It is, therefore, concluded that the global spread of these four PFAAs in the atmosphere has led to the planetary boundary for chemical pollution being exceeded. Levels of PFAAs in atmospheric deposition are especially poorly reversible because of the high persistence of PFAAs and their ability to continuously cycle in the hydrosphere, including on sea spray aerosols emitted from the oceans. Because of the poor reversibility of environmental exposure to PFAS and their associated effects, it is vitally important that PFAS uses and emissions are rapidly restricted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian T. Cousins
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jana H. Johansson
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matthew E. Salter
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bo Sha
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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6
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Chen M, Wang C, Gao K, Wang X, Fu J, Gong P, Wang Y. Perfluoroalkyl substances in precipitation from the Tibetan Plateau during monsoon season: Concentrations, source regions and mass fluxes. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 282:131105. [PMID: 34470159 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric wet deposition is an important process for the occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in polar/remote mountain regions; however, there are limited data on PFASs in precipitation from the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Precipitation (rain from May to October 2017) was therefore collected across the TP to investigate the concentrations, composition profiles, sources, and fluxes of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). The average ∑PFAA concentrations ranged from 212.3 pg L-1 to 547.7 pg L-1, and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) accounted for 87% of the measured PFAAs (mean value). Significant positive associations (p < 0.05) were found for most PFCAs in the southeast TP, indicating that they may come from similar sources. The monthly PFAA deposition flux ranged from 12.6 to 68.9 ng m-2 month-1, decreasing from east to west. As climate of the eastern TP is controlled mainly by the Indian monsoon, indicating that the Indian monsoon plays an important role in delivering PFAAs to the TP. PCA (principal component analysis) combined with back-trajectory analysis was used to estimate the atmospheric transport pathways, and the PSCF (potential source contribution function) model was applied to define the potential source regions of individual PFAAs. The results suggested that northeast India, Bangladesh, and southern Nepal are the potential sources of C4-C7 PFCAs; C8-C10 PFCAs are more influenced by emissions from southern Nepal and Bhutan; while the source regions of long-chain PFCAs (C11-C12) can be attributed to northern India and Pakistan. Specifically, PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) has a local contribution from the central TP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chuanfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ke Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Jianjie Fu
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Ping Gong
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yongjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; South-East Tibetan Plateau Station for Integrated Observation and Research of Alpine Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nyingchi 860119, China
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7
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Arinaitwe K, Keltsch N, Taabu-Munyaho A, Reemtsma T, Berger U. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria: Spatial distribution, catchment release and public exposure risk via municipal water consumption. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:146970. [PMID: 33872896 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have scarcely been studied in the Lake Victoria Basin and Africa in general. We investigated spatial profiles of PFASs in the Ugandan part of Lake Victoria, their influxes and human exposure via drinking water. We analyzed open lake water, riverine water (Rivers Kagera and Sio), urban drainage water (Nakivubo Channel), over-lake bulk atmospheric deposition and municipal tap water (Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe). The average concentrations (ng/L) for individual target PFASs were in the ranges of 0.08-23.8 (Nakivubo Channel), 0.01-10.8 (Murchison Bay), <MDL-5.38 (Kampala tap water), 0.01-3.64 (R. Kagera), <MDL-3.56 (Jinja tap water), <MDL-3.35 (R. Sio), <MDL-1.96 (Entebbe tap water), <MDL-1.46 (open lake) and <MDL-1.00 (atmospheric deposition). Estimated contribution of input pathways to ∑PFAS fluxes into Lake Victoria was in the order atmospheric deposition > R. Kagera, >R. Sio > Nakivubo Channel. Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) had the highest influx and retention estimates, respectively. Perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) were mostly associated with urban drainage samples. PFASs were likely recycled from the Nakivubo Channel, through the Murchison Bay, into municipal drinking water. The estimated human exposure to ∑11PFASs via drinking water indicated low risk of adverse health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Arinaitwe
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Makerere University, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Nils Keltsch
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anthony Taabu-Munyaho
- Uganda National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), P.O. Box 343, Jinja, Uganda
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; University of Leipzig, Institute for Analytical Chemistry, Linnéstrasse 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Urs Berger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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Koch A, Jonsson M, Yeung LWY, Kärrman A, Ahrens L, Ekblad A, Wang T. Quantification of Biodriven Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from the Aquatic to the Terrestrial Environment via Emergent Insects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7900-7909. [PMID: 34029071 PMCID: PMC8277127 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Emergent aquatic insects are important food subsidies to riparian food webs but can also transfer waterborne contaminants to the terrestrial environment. This study aimed to quantitatively assess this biodriven transfer for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Aquatic insect larvae, emergent aquatic insects, terrestrial consumers, sediment, and water were collected from a contaminated lake and stream and an uncontaminated pond, and analyzed for PFAS and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Top predators in this study were spiders, which showed the highest average ∑24PFAS concentration of 1400 ± 80 ng g-1 dry weight (dw) at the lake and 630 ng g-1 dw at the stream. The transfer of PFAS from the lake to the riparian zone, via deposition of emergent aquatic insects, was 280 ng ∑24PFAS m-2 d-1 in 2017 and only 23 ng ∑24PFAS m-2 d-1 in 2018. Because of higher production of emergent aquatic insects, the lake had higher PFAS transfer and higher concentrations in terrestrial consumers compared to the stream, despite the stream having higher PFAS concentration in water and aquatic insect larvae. Our results indicate that biodriven transfer of PFAS from the aquatic systems and subsequent uptake in terrestrial food webs depend more on emergence amounts, i.e., aquatic prey availability, rather than on PFAS concentrations in water and aquatic prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Koch
- Man-Technology-Environment
Research Centre, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Micael Jonsson
- Department
of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå
University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Leo W. Y. Yeung
- Man-Technology-Environment
Research Centre, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Anna Kärrman
- Man-Technology-Environment
Research Centre, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alf Ekblad
- Man-Technology-Environment
Research Centre, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Thanh Wang
- Man-Technology-Environment
Research Centre, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
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9
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Pike KA, Edmiston PL, Morrison JJ, Faust JA. Correlation Analysis of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Regional U.S. Precipitation Events. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 190:116685. [PMID: 33279752 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are transported in the atmosphere, leading to both wet and dry deposition to the surface. The concentrations of 15 PFAS were measured at six locations in the Ohio-Indiana region of the U.S. during the summer of 2019 and compared to samples collected at a distant site in NW Wyoming. ΣPFAS concentrations ranged from 50-850 ng L-1, with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) being the dominant compound (~90%). Concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorosulfonic acid (PFOS) were similar to amounts observed over the past 20 years, indicating persistence in the atmosphere despite regulatory action, and the newer species HFPO-DA (GenX) was also widely detected in rainwater. ANOVA modeling and correlation matrices were used to determine association of PFAS concentrations, location, and functional group and chain length. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in PFAS profiles across sites separated by 10-100 km indicate that local point sources strongly contribute to wet deposition. This work introduces correlation plots for PFAS that allow rapid visual comparison of multi-analyte and multi-site data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyndal A Pike
- Department of Chemistry, College of Wooster, 943 College Mall, Wooster, Ohio 44691, United States; Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, College of Wooster, 308 E. University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, United States
| | - Paul L Edmiston
- Department of Chemistry, College of Wooster, 943 College Mall, Wooster, Ohio 44691, United States
| | - Jillian J Morrison
- Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, College of Wooster, 308 E. University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, United States
| | - Jennifer A Faust
- Department of Chemistry, College of Wooster, 943 College Mall, Wooster, Ohio 44691, United States.
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10
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Robey NM, da Silva BF, Annable MD, Townsend TG, Bowden JA. Concentrating Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Leachate Using Foam Separation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12550-12559. [PMID: 32865409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Large volumes of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-contaminated wastewaters, such as municipal solid waste landfill leachates, pose a challenge for PFAS treatment technologies in practice today. In this study, the surfactant properties of PFAS were exploited to concentrate the compounds in foam produced via the bubble aeration of landfill leachate. The effectiveness of the foaming technique for concentrating PFAS varied by compound, with a mean removal percentage (the percent difference between PFAS in leachate before and after foam removal) of 69% and a median removal percentage of 92% among the 10 replicate foaming experiments. This technique appears to be similarly effective at sequestering sulfonates and carboxylate PFAS compounds and is less effective at concentrating the smallest and largest PFAS molecules. The results of this study suggest that for the pretreatment or preconcentration of landfill leachates, foaming to sequester PFAS may provide a practical approach that could be strategically coupled to high-energy PFAS-destructive treatment technologies. The process described herein is simple and could feasibly be applied at a relatively low cost at most landfills, where leachate aeration is already commonplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Robey
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Bianca F da Silva
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Michael D Annable
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Timothy G Townsend
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - John A Bowden
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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11
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Gewurtz SB, Bradley LE, Backus S, Dove A, McGoldrick D, Hung H, Dryfhout-Clark H. Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Great Lakes Precipitation and Surface Water (2006-2018) Indicate Response to Phase-outs, Regulatory Action, and Variability in Fate and Transport Processes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:8543-8552. [PMID: 31339294 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were determined in precipitation from three locations across the Great Lakes between 2006 and 2018 and compared to those in surface water. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) concentrations generally decreased in precipitation, likely in response to phase-outs/regulatory actions. In comparison, concentrations of shorter-chained PFAA, which are not regulated in Canada did not decrease and those of perfluorohexanoate and perfluorobutanoate (PFBA) recently increased, which could be due to their use as replacements, as the longer-chained PFAAs are being phased-out by industry. PFOS and PFOA concentrations were greater in Lake Ontario precipitation than in precipitation from more remote locations. In comparison, PFBA concentrations were comparable across locations, suggesting greater atmospheric transport either through its more volatile precursors and/or directly in association with particles/aerosols. In Lake Ontario, the comparison of PFAAs in precipitation to those in surface water provides evidence of sources (e.g., street dust and wastewater effluent) in addition to wet deposition to surface water, whereas wet deposition appears to be dominant in Lakes Huron and Superior. Our results suggest that source control of shorter-chained PFAAs may be slow to be reflected in environmental concentrations due to emissions far from the location of detection and continued volatilization from existing in-use products and waste streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Gewurtz
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road , Burlington , Ontario L7S 1A1 , Canada
| | - Lisa E Bradley
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road , Burlington , Ontario L7S 1A1 , Canada
| | - Sean Backus
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road , Burlington , Ontario L7S 1A1 , Canada
| | - Alice Dove
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road , Burlington , Ontario L7S 1A1 , Canada
| | - Daryl McGoldrick
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road , Burlington , Ontario L7S 1A1 , Canada
| | - Hayley Hung
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 4905 Dufferin Street , Toronto , Ontario M3H 5T4 , Canada
| | - Helena Dryfhout-Clark
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada , 4905 Dufferin Street , Toronto , Ontario M3H 5T4 , Canada
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MacInnis JJ, Lehnherr I, Muir DCG, Quinlan R, De Silva AO. Characterization of perfluoroalkyl substances in sediment cores from High and Low Arctic lakes in Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 666:414-422. [PMID: 30802657 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic environmentally-persistent pollutants that are amenable to long-range transport and accumulation in remote Arctic ecosystems. In this study, historical inventories of twenty-three PFASs (i.e. C4-C14, C16 perfluoroalkane carboxylic acids (PFCAs); C4, C6-C8, C10 perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs); perfluoro-4-ethyl-cyclohexane sulfonic acid (PFECHS); dodecafluoro-3H-4,8-dioxanonanoic acid (ADONA); 8-chloro-perfluoro-1-octane sulfonic acid (8-Cl-PFOS); chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acids (Cl-PFESAs) including 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA) and 11-chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (8:2 Cl-PFESA); as well as perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA)) are determined in two intact sediment cores collected from Lake Hazen, located in northern Ellesmere Island at 82° N in 2012 and Lake B35, located in central Nunavut at 64° N in 2009. In Lake Hazen, fluxes of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) increased during 1963-2011. In Lake B35, fluxes of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), PFOA, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) increased during 1952-2009. The temporal trends for PFASs in Lake Hazen and Lake B35 sediments are consistent with the continuous annual delivery of PFASs to the Arctic of Canada. Temporal trends in sediment cores appear to follow historical market changes in PFAS manufacturing inventory. The doubling time of PFAS fluxes are faster in Lake Hazen sediments than Lake B35 sediments. In Lake Hazen, this may be attributed to the enhanced delivery of sediment and historically-archived PFASs promoted by climate-induced glacier melting in the Lake Hazen watershed post-2005. Exponentially increasing PFAS temporal trends in High and Low Arctic lakes in Canada stress the importance of developing effective global regulatory policies for PFAS manufacturing and highlights the potential for climate change-induced contaminant release from melting glaciers in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J MacInnis
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X7, Canada.
| | - Igor Lehnherr
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Roberto Quinlan
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
| | - Amila O De Silva
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada.
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