Distribution of perfluorinated compounds in surface water from Hanjiang River in Wuhan, China

Abstract

This study provided the first spatial distribution of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in Hanjiang River in Wuhan, China (HR). Surface water samples, collected from 23 sites in HR were analyzed for eight PFCs. The total concentrations of PFCs ranged from 8.90 to 568 ng L(-1), while perfluoropentanoic acid (PFOA, <LOQ-256 ng L(-1)) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, <LOQ-88.9 ng L(-1)) dominated. All data were found to be normally distributed in the river. Similar spatial distribution tendencies were found among perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) and significant correlations were observed among PFCAs, while no significant correlations were found between PFOS and PFCAs. The distributions of PFCs were highly influenced by the industrial discharge and urban activities. The flux of PFCs from HR to the Yangtze River was estimated in the range of 16.9-127 kg yr(-1). More than a half of the samples studied could not meet the drinking water standards and avian wildlife values, suggesting further studies of characterizing PFCs and their potential risk to human were needed.

Keywords: Hanjiang River; PFCs; Spatial distribution; Surface water.