Occurrence of seventy-nine SVOCs in tapwater of China based on high throughput organic analysis testing combined with high volume solid phase extraction

Abstract

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are ubiquitous and toxic environmental pollutants, and have recently attracted much research attention. However, their occurrence in tapwater and the associated potential health risks have not been thoroughly studied. This work examined 26 household tapwater samples collected in 26 Chinese cities during August and September 2019. Concentrations of 79 SVOCs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polychlorobenzenes (CBs), were determined using an emerging method of high throughput organic analysis testing combined with high volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE). Total concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, and CBs were in the ranges 8.70–103 ng L−1 (average 42.1 ng L−1), 61.6–434 pg L−1 (average 274 pg L−1), 13.1–266 pg L−1 (average 59.8 pg L−1), and 3.5–83.0 pg L−1 (average 13.8 pg L−1), respectively. PAHs were the dominant SVOCs, with concentrations 10–100 times those of PCBs, OCPs, and CBs. All the studied SVOCs had concentrations deemed acceptable by Chinese national tapwater standards. These measured SVOCs displayed little spatial variation across China, but were significantly correlated with the size of the economy and population of each city. The human non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the studied SVOCs in Chinese tapwater are negligible.