Polyfluorinated compounds in waste water treatment plant effluents and surface waters along the River Elbe, Germany

Abstract

Polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were investigated in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and surface waters of the River Elbe from samples collected in 2007. Concentrations of various PFCs, including C-4-C-8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs), C-6 and C-8 perfluorinated sulfinates, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, C-5-C-13 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), C-4 and C-8 perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides and 6:2, 8:2 and 10:2 unsaturated flu orotelomercarboxylic acids were quantified. Sigma PFC concentrations of the river water ranged from 7.6 to 26.4 ng L-1, whereas Sigma PFC concentrations of WWTP effluents were approximately 5-10 times higher (30.5-266.3 ng L-1), indicating that WWTPs are potential sources of PFCs in the marine environment. PFC patterns of different WWTP effluents varied depending on the origin of the waste water, whereas the profile of PFC composition in the river water was relatively constant. In both kinds of water samples, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the major PFC, whereas perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) was the predominant PFSA. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

PFCs, Perfluorinated carboxylic acids; Perfluorinated sulfonates; Waste water treatment plants; Surface water; River Elbe

Published in

Marine Pollution Bulletin
2009, Volume: 58, number: 9, pages: 1326-1333
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

UKÄ Subject classification

Analytical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.04.028

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/53668