title: Spatial distribution and source tracing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface water in Northern Europe.
abstract: The impact of point and diffuse sources for 26 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in northern Europe were investigated by studying Swedish rivers (n = 40) and recipient seawater (Baltic Sea and Kattegat; n = 18). Different composition profiles were observed in the rivers, with ten rivers having a remarkably high fraction of perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs; 65% of the ƩPFASs) as compared to other rivers (19%) suggesting major impact of one or several source types dominated by PFSAs. Population density and low latitude (south) were strongly correlated to the widely used perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as well as to perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS). Significant relationships between several PFCAs and PFSAs (i.e. perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), PFOA, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and PFHxS) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were detected (p < 0.05), indicating chemical binding and co-transport with DOC in fresh water and seawater. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were related to latitude according to their perfluorocarbon chain length (C3, C7, C8, C9, C10and C11), with longer chains associated with higher latitudes. This suggests the presence of mechanisms promoting higher prevalence of longer chained PFCAs in the north, e.g. precursor degradation, and/or aerosol associated stabilization of PFCAs and their precursors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: anh.minh.nguyen@slu.se.
authors.forename: Minh A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Josefsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Futter
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gustavsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ahrens
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005843:Geography; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C033094:perfluorobutyric acid
keywords: Long-range atmospheric transport; Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs); Source tracing; Surface water