Ahrens, Lutz
- Helmholtz-Centre Geesthacht Centre for Material and Coastal Research
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Abstract
The distribution of polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in the dissolved and particulate phase and their discharge from the river Elbe into the North Sea were studied. The PFCs quantified included C-4-C-8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), C-6 and C-8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSiAs), C-4-C-12 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoro-3,7-dimethyl-octanoic acid (3,7m(2)-PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), and n-ethyl perfluroctane sulfonamidoethanol (EtFOSE). PFCs were mostly distributed in the dissolved phase, where perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominated with 2.9-12.5 ng/L. In the suspended particulate matter FOSA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) showed the highest concentrations (4.0 ng/L and 2.3 ng/L, respectively). The total flux of Sigma PFCs from the river Elbe was estimated to be 802 kg/year for the dissolved phase and 152 kg/year for the particulate phase. This indicates that the river Elbe acts as a source of PFCs into the North Sea. However, the concentrations of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) in the North Sea were higher than that in the river Elbe, thus an alternative source must exist for these compounds.
Keywords
polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs); perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); surface water; water-particulate partitioning
Published in
Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering in China
2009, volume: 3, number: 2, pages: 152-170
Publisher: HIGHER EDUCATION PRESS
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Organic Chemistry
Environmental Sciences
Analytical Chemistry
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-009-0021-8
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/53652