Emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in water and sediment from Qiantang River-Hangzhou Bay

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2023-06, Vol.875, p.162687-162687, Article 162687
• Main Authors: Cheng, Haixiang, Jin, Hangbiao, Lu, Bin, Lv, Chenhan, Ji, Yinghui, Zhang, Hui, Fan, Rui, Zhao, Nan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 6:2 Cl-PFAES; Emerging PFASs; Estuarine environment; HFPO-TA; Water-sediment partitioning
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162687

Many emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are being used in China, due to the gradual phase out of legacy PFASs. Occurrence and environmental behaviors of emerging PFASs in Chinese fresh water environment are still not well known. In this study, 31 PFASs, including 14 emerging PFASs, were measured in 29 pairs of water and sediment samples from Qiantang River-Hangzhou Bay, an important drinking water resource for cities in Yangtze River basin. Perfluorooctanoate was consistently the predominant legacy PFAS in water (8.8–130 ng/L) and sediment (3.7–49 ng/g dw). Twelve emerging PFASs were detected in water, with the dominance of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonates (6:2 Cl-PFAES; mean 11 ng/L, 0.79–57 ng/L) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS; 5.6 ng/L, < LOD–29 ng/L). Eleven emerging PFASs were found in sediment, and were also dominated by 6:2 Cl-PFAES (mean 4.3 ng/g dw, 0.19–16 ng/g dw) and 6:2 FTS (2.6 ng/g dw, < LOD–9.4 ng/g dw). Spatially, sampling sites closed to the surrounding cities had comparatively higher water concentrations of PFASs. Among emerging PFASs, 8:2 Cl-PFAES (3.0 ± 0.34) had the highest mean field-based log-transformed organic‑carbon normalized sediment-water partition coefficient (log Koc), followed by 6:2 Cl-PFAES (2.9 ± 0.35) and hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (2.8 ± 0.32). p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (2.3 ± 0.60) and 6:2 FTS (1.9 ± 0.54) had relatively lower mean log Koc values. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study investigating the occurrence and partitioning behaviors of emerging PFASs in Qiantang River. [Display omitted] •PFOA was the predominant legacy PFAS in water and sediment.•This study first reports the occurrence of PF5OHxA and 3,6-OPFHpA in Qiantang River.•6:2 Cl-PFAES and 6:2 FTS were the dominant emerging PFASs in water and sediment.•Field-based log Koc values of 7 emerging PFASs were calculated in this study.