Occurrence and health risk assessment of perfluorinated substances from water in residential areas around fluorine chemical industry, China

Abstract

To identify the contamination status and assess the health risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface and ground water are of great significance recently. Eighteen individual PFASs were analyzed in thirty-three surface/ground water samples from fluorine industry in one period of park-A (park A) and two periods of park B. All the short chain PFASs (C < 8) and chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate acid (F-53B) in the park A and B were detected with 100%. The first three detected substances of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were the predominant substances. The contamination status in wet season (WS) is stronger than in dry season (DS) in park B. Total concentration of PFASs(∑PFASs) in park A presented the increasing tendency following the groundwater flow direction whereas this rule was limited to reflect in all periods of park B. Applying different relative source contribution (RSC) of 100% and 20% to assess this risk of different aged group bodies from PFASs, the result was that all PFASs (4 ≤ C ≤ 7 or 9 ≤ C ≤ 12) while perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and PFOA (C = 8) were identified to the low risk quotient (RQ) contribution. Mixed RQmix value mainly relies on the PFOA and PFOS with a larger contribution rate of 80–90%. All assessed cases (Case 1, Case2, Case3 and Case4) to all aged groups reveal the infants were to be vulnerable to PFASs influence, followed by the children, teenagers and adults, respectively.