title: Occurrence of perfluorinated organic acids in the North and Baltic seas. Part 1: distribution in sea water.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to their high water solubilities and mobilities, persistent, polar perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) such as perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates are likely to end up in the oceans. In part 1 of this study, their distribution in North and Baltic Sea water is reported, being of special interest because these seas are surrounded by highly industrialized countries with high population densities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A combination of solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used after optimisation to determine nine PFCs with chain lengths of C(4) to C(10) in water samples at ultra-trace levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The observed concentration distribution and gradients were explained by oceanographic mixing processes and currents. The big rivers were identified as major input sources. At the mouth of the river Elbe, concentrations of 9 ng/L were observed for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and 8 ng/L for perfluorooctylsulfonate (PFOS); all other PFC concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 1.7 ng/L. At coastal stations, concentrations decreased to 3.8 ng/L (PFOA) and 1.8 ng/L (PFOS), dropping to 0.13 and 0.09 ng/L, respectively, towards the open sea. Along the Dutch coast, high perfluorobutylsulfonate concentrations (3.9 ng/L) were observed as regional characteristics. In the Baltic Sea, fairly even PFC distributions with low gradients were observed. Again, PFOA and PFOS were the major compounds (up to 1.1 and 0.9 ng/L).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results underline the necessity to include PFCs in marine monitoring programs. Water was found to be a good matrix for monitoring environmental levels, sources, and transport pathways of PFCs.
authors.affiliation: Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, Bernhard-Nocht Strasse 78, Hamburg, Germany, norbert.theobald@bsh.de.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theobald
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caliebe
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerwinski
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hühnerfuss
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lepom
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D001454:Baltic States; D003652:Decanoic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D009659:North Sea; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D003652:Decanoic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C036567:perfluorodecanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid