Abstract
The environmental behavior of perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAA) and their precursors was investigated in lake Tyrifjorden, downstream a factory producing paper products coated with per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Low water concentrations (max 0.18 ng L-1 linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, L-PFOS) compared to biota (mean 149 μg kg-1 L-PFOS in perch livers) resulted in high bioaccumulation factors (L-PFOS BAFPerchliver: 8.05 × 105-5.14 × 106). Sediment concentrations were high, particularly for the PFOS precursor SAmPAP diester (max 1 872 μg kg-1). Biota-sediment accumulation factors (L-PFOS BSAFPerchliver: 22-559) were comparable to elsewhere, and concentrations of PFAA precursors and long chained PFAA in biota were positively correlated to the ratio of carbon isotopes (13C/12C), indicating positive correlations to dietary intake of benthic organisms. The sum fluorine from targeted analyses accounted for 54% of the extractable organic fluorine in sediment, and 9-108% in biota. This, and high trophic magnification factors (TMF, 3.7-9.3 for L-PFOS), suggests that hydrophobic precursors in sediments undergo transformation and are a main source of PFAA accumulation in top predator fish. Due to the combination of water exchange and dilution, transformation of larger hydrophobic precursors in sediments can be a source to PFAA, some of which are normally associated with uptake from water.
Highlights
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) refer to a class of anthropogenic chemicals that have been produced since the late 1940s and used for a variety of industrial processes and consumer products including firefighting foams, in oil production and mining, pesticides, cosmetics, household products, textiles, as well as food contact materials.[1]
Ions are more hydrophilic compared to neutral compounds of comparable size, and larger PFAS are generally more hydrophobic and have higher affinities for sediments compared to smaller sized homologues.[16−21] soil and sediment properties add to the complexity of sorption processes and make it difficult to predict soil/ sediment−water partitioning coefficients (KD)
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was the only compound detected above the limit of quantifications (LOQ)
Summary
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) refer to a class of anthropogenic chemicals that have been produced since the late 1940s and used for a variety of industrial processes and consumer products including firefighting foams, in oil production and mining, pesticides, cosmetics, household products, textiles, as well as food contact materials.[1]. Differences in structure, including molecule size and functional hydrophilic group result in differing physiochemical properties among compounds and different partitioning between environmental media. PFAS exist as anions, zwitterions, cations or neutral compounds.[15] Generally, ions are more hydrophilic compared to neutral compounds of comparable size, and larger PFAS are generally more hydrophobic and have higher affinities for sediments compared to smaller sized homologues.[16−21] soil and sediment properties add to the complexity of sorption processes and make it difficult to predict soil/ sediment−water partitioning coefficients (KD). Soils and sediments are comprised of organic and inorganic matter and positive correlations have most often been reported between organic matter and sorption of anionic PFAS.[17,19]
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