Distribution characteristics of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in shallow groundwater of a Fluorine Industrial Park in Shandong Province

Abstract

In this study, shallow groundwater level, the distributions of PFOA, and differences in wet and dry seasons were examined with a 3km radius from a mega-fluorochemical industrial park(FIP). Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were found in all the samples, and perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA) dominated. PFOA-containing waste discharged from the FIP was discharged into surface water then to shallow groundwater through seepage. Under the action of shallow groundwater flow, PFOA diffused along the direction of shallow groundwater flow, and with the increase of distance, the level of PFOA in groundwater showed a downward trend. In general, pollution range in the wet season is larger than that in the dry season, but this place is not the case. A huge underground funnel in the area played a role in intercepting pollution and controlling the scope of pollution, so the scope of pollution was not expanded. The changes of PFOA in the rainy and dry periods were analysed, and the content of PFOA in shallow groundwater, in the study area, was significantly higher than that in the dry season. For example, the concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of sample J1 in the low water period was 343μg/L, while in the wet season was 560μg/L.