The present study investigated the
presence of legacy and emerging
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in river water collected
in 2016 up- and downstream from a fluorochemical production plant,
as well as in river water from control sites, in The Netherlands.
Additionally, drinking water samples were collected from municipalities
in the vicinity from the production plant, as well as in other regions
in The Netherlands. The PFOA replacement chemical GenX was detected
at all downstream river sampling sites with the highest concentration
(812 ng/L) at the first sampling location downstream from the production
plant, which was 13 times higher than concentrations of sum perfluoroalkylcarboxylic
acids and perfluoroalkanesulfonates (∑PFCA+∑PFSA). Using
high resolution mass spectrometry, 11 polyfluoroalkyl acids belonging
to the C2nH2nF2nO2, C2nH2n+2F2nSO4 or C2n+1H2nF2n+4SO4 homologue
series were detected, but only in downstream water samples. These
emerging PFASs followed a similar distribution as GenX among the downstream
sampling sites, suggesting the production plant as the source. Polyfluoroalkyl
sulfonates (C2nH2F4nSO3) were detected in all collected river
water samples, and therefore appear to be ubiquitous contaminants
in Dutch rivers. GenX was also detected in drinking water collected
from 3 out of 4 municipalities in the vicinity of the production plant,
with highest concentration at 11 ng/L. Drinking water containing the
highest level of GenX also contained two C2nH2nF2nO2 homologues.
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