Perfluoroalkyl Contaminants in the Canadian Arctic:  Evidence of Atmospheric Transport and Local Contamination

Abstract

Perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) and perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) have been hypothesized to reach remote locations such as the Canadian Arctic either indirectly as volatile precursor chemicals that undergo atmospheric transport and subsequent degradation, or directly via oceanic and atmospheric transport of the PFSAs and PFCAs themselves. Water, sediment, and air samples were collected from three Arctic lakes (Amituk, Char, and Resolute) on Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, Canada. Samples were analyzed for PFSAs and PFCAs, precursor chemicals including the fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and polyfluorinated sulfonamides (FSAs), and precursor degradation products such as the fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylates (FTUCAs). PFSAs and PFCAs were detected in water and sediment of all three Arctic lakes (concentrations ranged from nondetect to 69 ng/L and nondetect to 85 ng/g dry weight, respectively). FTOHs and FSAs were observed in air samples (mean concentrations ranged from 2.8 to 29 pg/m3), and confirm that volatile precursors are reaching Arctic latitudes. The observation of degradation products, including FTUCAs observed in sediment and atmospheric particles, and N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NEtFOSA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) in air samples, indicate that degradation of the FTOHs and FSAs is occurring in the Arctic environment. PFSAs and PFCAs were also observed on atmospheric particles (mean concentrations ranged from < 0.1 to 5.9 pg/m3). In addition, results of this study also indicate that local perfluoroalkyl contamination of Resolute Lake, which is located downstream of an airport wastewater input, has occurred.

Spatiotemporal distribution and mass loadings of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Yangtze River of China

“…Incomplete removal of PFASs by waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) (Schultz et al, 2006;Sun et al, 2011), and transport by water flow and oceanic currents (Yamashita et al, 2008) and atmosphere (Stock et al, 2007) make them ubiquitously distributed in various environmental media including air (Li et al, 2011b), water (Hansen et al, 2002;Hong et al, 2013), sediment (Higgins et al, 2005;Benskin et al, 2011), biota (Giesy and Kannan, 2001;Tao et al, 2006), and human (Hansen et al, 2001). They have even been found in some remote areas, such as the Arctic (Benskin et al, 2012) and Tibetan Plateau (Shi et al, 2010).…”

Neutral poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in air and seawater of the North Sea

“…Indirect sources of PFOA and PFOS are photo-and microbial degradation of neutral precursors such as perfluorosulfonamides (FOSA), perfluorosulfonamidoethanols (FOSE), and FTOHs (D' Eon et al 2006;Ellis et al 2004;Wang et al 2005a;Wang et al 2005b). Because of their slow reaction process with hydroxyl radicals, atmospheric lifetimes were estimated~10−20 days for FTOH and~20−50 days for perfluoroalkane sulphonamide (FASA) in smog chamber studies (Ellis et al 2004;Martin et al 2006) and atmospheric residence time of more than 50 days for FTOHs in field studies (Piekarz et al 2007), which suggest they are subject to regional and long-range atmospheric transport, e.g., the Arctic and Antarctic (Dreyer et al 2009b;Stock et al 2007;Jahnke et al 2007b). Degradation of these precursors may account for the presence of PFOA and PFOS in remote regions (Andersen et al 2005;D'Eon et al 2006;Ellis et al 2004;Martin et al 2006;Zhao et al 2012).…”

Perfluorinated Compounds in the Asian Atmosphere

“…1,2 Atmospheric emissions and long-range atmospheric transport are important to the global dispersal of PFCs. 3,4 Further understanding of the sources and fate in the atmosphere is needed to assess the relative importance of different classes of PFCs as precursors for two key breakdown products À namely perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) À which are the subject of international regulations.…”

“…3,4,15À17 However, there is particular interest in Asia at the present time, because manufacture and use of PFCs continues there 18 and LRAT can be important regionally and as a source to the Arctic and Pacific Ocean. 3,4 Ambient measurements can be made using active air samplers or passive sampling techniques. The latter has the advantage that large scale spatial surveys can be conducted relatively quickly, cheaply and easily.…”