High levels, partitioning and fish consumption based water guidelines of perfluoroalkyl acids downstream of a former firefighting training facility in Canada.
High levels of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), especially perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), have been observed at locations in/around/downstream of the sites where PFOS-based firefighting foam was used repeatedly for a prolonged period. In this study, we conducted a detailed investigation of PFAA contamination in the Lake Niapenco area in Ontario, Canada, where among the highest ever reported levels of PFOS were recently measured in amphipods, fish and snapping turtle plasma. Levels and distribution of PFAAs in water, sediment and fish samples collected from the area varied widely. An upstream pond beside a former firefighting training area (FFTA) was confirmed as the source of PFAAs even 20years after the last use of the foam at the FFTA. Recent PFOS concentration in water (~60ng/L) at Lake Niapenco, about 14km downstream of the pond, was still 3-7× higher than the background levels. For PFOS, Log KD ranged 1.3-2.5 (mean±SE: 1.7±0.1), Log BAFs ranged 2.4-4.7 (3.4±0.05), and Log BSAFs ranged 0.7-2.9 (1.7±0.05). Some fish species-specific differences in BAF and BSAF were observed. At Log BAF of 4.7, fish PFOS levels at Lake Niapenco could reach 15,000ng/g, 100× greater than a "do not eat" advisory benchmark, without exceeding the current drinking water guideline of 300ng/L. A fish consumption based water guideline was estimated at 1-15ng/L, which is likely applicable worldwide given that the Log BAFs observed in this study were comparable to those previously reported in the literature. It appears that PFAA in the downstream waters increased between 2011 and 2015; however, further monitoring is required to confirm this trend.
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada; Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada. Electronic address: s.bhavsar@utoronto.ca.
Satyendra P
SP
Bhavsar
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 119 King Street West, 9th Floor, Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y7, Canada.
Craig
C
Fowler
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 119 King Street West, 9th Floor, Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y7, Canada.
Sarah
S
Day
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada.
Steve
S
Petro
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
Nilima
N
Gandhi
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
Sarah B
SB
Gewurtz
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada.
Chunyan
C
Hao
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada.
Xiaoming
X
Zhao
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
Ken G
KG
Drouillard
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada.
Dave
D
Morse
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D061388:Firefighters; D005399:Fishes; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry; D009864:Ontario; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005411:Flame Retardants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
Firefighting; Fish advisory; Guideline; Perfluoroalkyl acids PFAAs; Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid PFOS; Worldwide