Perfluorooctanoic acid （PFOA） and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid （PFOS） concentrations in the South Korean agricultural environment： A national survey

• Published in: 农业科学学报：英文版 2017, Vol.16 (8), p.1841-1851
• Main Author: Geun-Hyoung Choi Deuk-Young Lee Dong-Kyu Jeong Saranya Kuppusamy Yong Bok Lee Byung-Jun Park Jin-Hyo Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: PFOA; PFOS; 全氟辛烷; 全氟辛酸铵; 农业环境; 环境浓度; 磺酸; 韩国
• ISSN: 2095-3119; 2352-3425

Research on the occurrence of perfluorochemicals （PFCs） such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid （PFOS） and perfluorooctanoic acid （PFOA） in the agricultural environment is lacking, in spite of their potential risk via food chain transfer from aquatic and soil-plant systems to animals and/or humans. In the present study, for the first time, soil and water samples collected from 243 different agricultural sites adjacent to waste water treatment plants （WWTPs） belonging to 81 cities and 5 provinces with different levels of industrialization in South Korea were monitored for concentrations of PFOS and PFOA by use of solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy （LC-MS/MS）. Significant mean concentrations of PFOA （0.001-0.007 tJg L-1 water and 〈0.05-1.573 tJg kg-1 soil） and PFOS （0.001-0.22 tJg L-1 water and 〈0.05-0.741 pg kg-1 soil） were found in all samples. Concentrations of PFCs in soils were high, highlighting that soil is an important sink for PFCs in the agricultural environment. Samples from near WWTPs in Gyeongsang Province contained the highest concentrations of PFOS and PFOA, reflecting the concentration of heavy industry in the province. The concentrations of PFCs in agricultural water （most samples 〈0.05 pg L-~） and soils （most samples 〈1 IJg kg-~） from South Korea were less than acceptable guideline values, indicating that South Korea is not a hotspot of PFOS and PFOA contamination and that there is negligible risk to human and ecological health from these chemicals. However, further studies investigating the seasonal variation in PFOA, PFOS and other perfluorochemical concentrations in the agricultural environment are needed.