Spatiotemporal distribution and potential sources of perfluoroalkyl acids in Huangpu River, Shanghai, China

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been found to be ubiquitously disseminated in the environment due to their widespread use in recent decades. In this study, the occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of PFAAs in the surface water of Huangpu River, Shanghai, China were investigated from 2012 to 2014. The total concentration of 14 PFAAs (Sigma PFAAs) ranged from 39.8 to 596.2 ng L-1, with a mean value of 2263 ng L-1 Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were dominant, with their mean concentrations of 139.6 and 46.5 ng L-1, respectively. The concentration of Sigma PFAAs increased greatly downstream especially in the lower reach of an industrial and urbanized area. Samples collected in different seasons were used to analyze the seasonal variation. The results showed that higher concentration of Sigma PFAAs occurred in the wet season, especially downstream. Therefore, industrial discharges, municipal wastewater and surface runoff were identified as major potential sources. The annual discharge load of PFAAs from Huangpu River to Yangtze River was estimated to be 2263.4 kg yr(-1). The hazard assessment suggested that the contamination of PFAAs in Huangpu River could pose risks to the aquatic environment and drinking water safety, which should draw more attention. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.