Occurrence of perchlorate in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.
Concentrations of perchlorate were determined by both liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS) in 520 tap-water, 48 bottled-water, and 9 seawater samples obtained or purchased from >100 different locations in South Korea. The method detection limits were 0.013 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.005 μg/L for IC-MS/MS, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.10 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.032 μg/L for IC-MS/MS. Perchlorate was detected in most (80%) of the tap-water samples, with concentrations higher than the LOQ; the concentrations ranged from <1.0 to 6.1 μg/L (mean 0.56). Perchlorate was detected by IC-MS/MS in many (n = 23) of the bottled-water samples, with concentrations higher then the LOQ, ranging from 0.04 to 0.29 μg/L (mean 0.07 ± 0.01). The concentrations of perchlorate in all seawater samples collected from the various locations were higher than the LOQ, with a mean concentration of 1.15 ± 0.01 μg/L (maximum 6.11 and minimum 0.11). This study provides further evidence that drinking-water sources have been contaminated by perchlorate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on perchlorate assessment in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Korea Army Academy at Young-Cheon, 135-1, Changhari, Kokyungmeon, Young-cheon, Gyeongbuk, 770-849, South Korea.
Namguk
N
Her
Hyunchan
H
Jeong
Jongsung
J
Kim
Yeomin
Y
Yoon
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D010472:Perchlorates / Q000032:analysis*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D060766:Drinking Water; D010472:Perchlorates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C494474:perchlorate