title: Distribution and primary source analysis of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances with different chain lengths in surface and groundwater in two cities, North China.
abstract: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been widely detected in the hydrosphere. The knowledge on the distribution and composition patterns of PFAS analogues with different chain length significantly contribute to their source analysis. In the present study, a regional scale investigation of PFASs in surface river waters and adjacent ground waters was carried out in two cities of China with potential contamination, Tianjin and Weifang. A total of 31 water samples were collected, and 20 PFASs therein were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). The possible sources of PFASs in the aquatic environment were assessed primarily by concentration patterns as well as hierarchical cluster analysis. In all 4 rivers investigated in the two cities, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were the dominant compounds contributing over 70% of the PFASs detected. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the dominant PFCA with a concentration range of 8.58-20.3ng/L in Tianjin and 6.37-25.9ng/L in Weifang, respectively. On the average, the highest concentration was observed in samples from Dagu Drainage Canal (Dagu) in Tianjin and those short-chain PFASs (C4-C6) was detected with a comparable level of the longer-chain PFASs (>C6). Specifically, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was dominant in the short-chain analogues. This indicates that a remarkably increasing input of short-chain PFASs might be related to wastewater treatment plant effluent or industrial discharges, which could be possibly due to the switch of manufacturing to short-chain products. In Weifang, precipitation and subsequent surface runoff as non-point sources could be significant inputs of PFASs into surface water while groundwater was possibly subjected to severe point sources with ∑PFASs concentration up to ~100ng/L. The inconsistent distribution patterns in groundwater suggest complicated pathways of contamination.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Hongkai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniyasu
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. Electronic address: sunhongwen@nankai.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D002210:Caprylates / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002947:Cities; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002210:Caprylates; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C033094:perfluorobutyric acid; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid
keywords: Distribution; Groundwater; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Precipitation; River water; Source analysis