title: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the Pra and Kakum River basins and associated tap water in Ghana.
abstract: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent environmental pollutants that have been detected in various media including human serum. Due to concerns regarding their bioaccumulation and possible negative health effects, an understanding of routes of human exposure is necessary. PFAAs are recalcitrant in many water treatment processes, making drinking water a potential source of human exposure. This study presents the first report on contamination from PFAAs in river and drinking water in Ghana. The targeted PFAAs were perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with C4-14carbon chain and perfluoroalkane sulphonic acids (PFSAs) with C6, 8, 10. Five PFAA congeners - PFOA, PFOS, PFHxA, PFDA and PFPeA - were commonly detected in river and tap water. The mean concentrations of ∑PFAAs in the Kakum and Pra Rivers were 281 and 398ng/L, while tap water (supplied from the treatment of water from those rivers) contained concentrations of 197 and 200ng/L, respectively. PFOA and PFOS constituted about 99% of the ∑PFAAs. The risk quotient (RQ) attributed to drinking of tap water was estimated at 1.01 and 1.74 for PFOA and PFOS, respectively. For a country that has not produced these compounds, the RQs were unexpectedly high, raising concerns particularly about contamination from such emerging pollutants in local water sources. The study revealed limitations of local tap water treatment in getting rid of these emerging pollutants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. Electronic address: dessumang@ucc.edu.gh.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Essumang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eshun
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Jonathan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Hogarh
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bentum
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joseph K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Adjei
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Negishi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Shihori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamichi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habibullah-Al-Mamun
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masunaga
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D005869:Ghana; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D060766:Drinking Water; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Kakum River; Perfluorinated compounds; Perfluorooctane sulphonate; Perfluorooctanoic acid; Pra River