Presence and inputs of legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from rivers and drainage outlets to Liaodong Bay, China

Abstract

Legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations were measured in 93 water samples from the rivers and drainage outlets to Liaodong Bay, China. The concentrations of Σ19PFASs in river water samples ranged from 7.75 ng/L to 750 ng/L. The concentration ranges for municipal wastewater and industrial wastewater samples were 13.9 to 360 ng/L and 30.6 to 73.1 ng/L, respectively. PFOA was the predominant PFAS along the coast of Liaodong Bay, but PFBA was also present in high concentrations in all samples. For the novel PFAS alternatives, the detection frequencies of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) were 43.0% and 55.9%, respectively. The estimated total discharge of Σ19PFASs reached 1.7 ton/year in rivers and drainage outlets along Liaodong Bay. River water input accounted for 98.6% of the total input, suggesting that it made a major contribution to PFAS pollution in Liaodong Bay. Capsule:The occurrence of legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from rivers and drainage outlets directly discharging to Liaodong Bay of China was investigated, and their mass discharges were estimated and compared.