Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in a subtropical river-mangrove estuary-bay system

Xingwei Xie; Yonglong Lu; Pei Wang; Haojie Lei; Nengwang Chen; Zian Liang; Xudong Jiang; Jialong Li; Zhiwei Cao; Jieming Liao; Kongming Li

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132937

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in a subtropical river-mangrove estuary-bay system

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Feb 15:464:132937. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132937. Epub 2023 Nov 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China; State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. Electronic address: yllu@rcees.ac.cn.
³ Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China.

PMID: 37976860
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132937

Abstract

Mangrove estuaries are one of the most economically valuable and biologically diverse coastal ecosystems. However, knowledge of emerging pollutants in mangrove estuaries is limited. This study provided insight into the PFAS in a river (Zhangjiang River, ZR)-mangrove estuary (Zhangjiang River Estuary, ZRE)-bay (Dongshan Bay, DSB) continuous system in Fujian Province, China. The Σ₂₅PFAS (sum of 25 PFAS) concentrations (0.94 ∼ 62.44 ng/L) showed a declining trend from the river to bay. The Zhe-Min Coastal Current (ZMCC) can transport an abundance of PFAS, especially PFOA, from the northern sea to southern bays, which can affect the seasonal distribution of PFAS concentrations in the DSB and result in PFOA/Σ₂₅PFAS with a decreasing trend in the DSB (28.08%), ZRE (21.15%), and ZR (14.13%), respectively. The primary PFAS sources in this area determined by the positive matrix factor model mainly contained the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant neighboring the R2 site, discharge of domestic and production wastewater, irregular emissions of aqueous film-forming foams, and fluorochemistry industry wastewater transmitted from the ZMCC. The PFAS pollution in the mangrove creek was mainly affected by the discharge of domestic and production wastewater and presented a significant point source pollution, especially during the rainy season.

Keywords: Environmental drivers; PFOA; Source apportionment; Zhangjiang River Estuary (ZRE); Zhe-Min Coastal Current (ZMCC).