Distribution of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Other Perfluorochemicals in the Ambient Environment around a Manufacturing Facility in China

Abstract

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) can be released to the surrounding environment during manufacturing and usage of PFC containing products, which are considered as main direct sources of PFCs in the environment. This study evaluates the release of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and other PFCs to the ambient environment around a manufacturing plant. Among the nine PFCs analyzed, only PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) were found in dust, water, soil, and chicken eggs. Very high concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were found in dust from the production storage, raw material stock room, and sulfonation workshop in the manufacturing facility, with the highest value at 4962 µg/g (dry weight) for PFOS and 160 µg/g for PFOA. A decreasing trend of the three PFCs concentrations in soils, water, and chicken eggs with increasing distance from the plant was found, indicating the production site to be the primary source of PFCs in this region. Risk quotients (RQs) assessment for surface water >500 m away from the plant were less than unity. Risk assessment of PFOS using predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC, 3.23 ng/g on a logarithmic scale) indicated no immediate ecological risk of a reduction in offspring survival. PFOS concentrations in most egg samples did not exceed the benchmark concentration derived in setting a reference dose for noncancer health effects (0.025 µg/(kgxd)).

Risk assessment and source identification of perfluoroalkyl acids in surface and ground water: Spatial distribution around a mega-fluorochemical industrial park, China

“…5a, c). Overall the groundwater pollution signal at the FIP here was larger than that of a PFAA manufacturing facility (b 2 km) in Wuhan, China, which might be due to the sheer scale of this facility (Wang et al, 2010). …”

Shifts in production of perfluoroalkyl acids affect emissions and concentrations in the environment of the Xiaoqing River Basin, China

“…But the patterns of PFAAs vary among locations. At a sulfonation facility in Wuhan, Hubei Province of central China, PFOS was dominant with concentration of 1.02 mg/L found in the effluents from the wastewater treatment plant at one facility, followed by PFOA and PFHxS [32]. At [16].…”

A review of sources, multimedia distribution and health risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in China

“…Drinking water accounted for as much as 13% of the TDI of PFOA for residents living near fluorochemical plants (Bao et al, 2011). Although exposure from indoor dust might contribute a small portion to the TDI of PFOS and PFOA for the nonoccupational population (Zhang et al, 2010a), it might be a significant source of exposure to PFOS and PFOA or other PFAAs under some extreme conditions, for example, for the workers in fluoropolymer facilities (Wang et al, 2010b).…”