title: Emission, Dynamics and Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Land to Ocean by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
abstract: Water samples collected along the Japanese coast and in the open Pacific Ocean in 2010, 2011, and 2012 were analyzed for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to evaluate the effect of Great East Japan Earthquake (EQ 3.11), which occurred on March 11, 2011, on the dispersion of chemical pollutants. Ultratrace analysis of PFASs in water, a super computer simulation, and an inventory analysis from industrial records revealed the sources and dynamics of PFASs during the EQ 3.11 disaster. In this respect, EQ 3.11 destroyed solid infrastructure on land, and within minutes, PFASs stocked therein were released into the open environment. The historically significant tsunami backwash swept them away from their origin to the coastal water within several hours. It was estimated that from 0.8 to 1.0 tons of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and 4.8 to 5.1 tons of PFOA were discharged into the coastal waters after EQ 3.11 and the tsunami that followed. The reconstruction of EQ 3.11 also traced the influence of this pollution in open ocean water until March 2012, and a statistical and finger printing analysis revealed that there were different distribution mechanisms in coastal regions than in the open ocean for PFOS, other shorter chain perfluorinated sulfonic acids and perfluorinated carboxylic acids.
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.|College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.
authors: Eriko
authors: E
authors: Yamazaki
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
authors: Nobuyoshi
authors: N
authors: Yamashita
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
authors: Sachi
authors: S
authors: Taniyasu
authors: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showamchi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0001, Japan.
authors: Yasumasa
authors: Y
authors: Miyazawa
authors: Department of Chemical Oceanography, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo , 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan.
authors: Toshitaka
authors: T
authors: Gamo
authors: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.|College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Ge
authors: Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, PO Box 509, Albany, New York 12201-0509, United States.
authors: Kurunthachalam
authors: K
authors: Kannan
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D055866:Earthquakes; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D057192:Tsunamis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid