Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate released from a waste water treatment plant in Bavaria, Germany
Abstract
Purpose Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and precursors and derivatives thereof have been employed as surfactants and anti-adhesives. PFOA and PFOS are environmentally persistent and the discharge of municipal waste waters is one of the principal routes of these compounds into the aquatic environment. In a previous study, the concentrations of PFOA and PFOS in grab samples collected from the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) of Bayreuth, a city of 72,000 inhabitants in Bavaria, Germany, during two periods showed considerable variability. For a better estimate of average mass flows, the surfactants were monitored (five samplings) from 16 March to 18 May 2007. In a second campaign, river water receiving the WWTP effluent was sampled twice a day for five consecutive days.Methods Quantitative analysis was done by stable-isotope dilution, pre-cleaning, and pre-concentration by solid-phase extraction, and liquid chromatography followed by electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry.Results The mass flows of PFOA and PFOS through the WWTP were determined. PFOA is fully discharged into the river, while about half of PFOS is retained in the sewage sludge. The average daily mass load of the river Roter Main by the WWTP of Bayreuth is about 1.2 ± 0.5 g PFOA and 5 ± 2 g PFOS, with variations of up to 140% within one day.Conclusion Overall, the total annual release to the rivers of Germany may be in the range of several hundred kilograms of PFOA and several tons of PFOS.
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PFAS measured in sewage treatment plants from Spain, Bavaria, Belgium, and Baltic Sea region showed lower concentrations in influent and effluent compared to those reported in this study.
“PFAS measured in sewage treatment plants from Spain (Campo et al., 2014), Bavaria, Germany (Becker et al., 2010), Belgium (Jeong et al., 2022), and Baltic Sea region (Undeman et al., 2019; Lenka et al., 2021) showed lower concentrations in in fl uent and ef fl uent compared to those reported in our study.”
From Occurrence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in wastewater treatment plants in Northern Italy (2023) · cites this paper as Becker et al., 2010
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“Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluoroocta-noic acid (PFOA) represent the most commonly used per-fluoroalkyl substances (Becker et al. 2010).”
Background
- Authors
- Becker, A. M., Suchan, M., Gerstmann, S., & Frank, H.
- Affiliations
- University of Bayreuth (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Frank, Hartmut
- Venue
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research
- Published
- 2010-04-25
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1502-1507
- ISSN
- 0944-1344 (ISSN-L)
- 1614-7499
- OpenAlex
- W2078826477
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Bayerische Forschungsstiftung
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Environmental Chemistry and Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, PFAS, municipal wastewater treatment plants, persistent organic pollutants, Bayreuth
- MeSH terms
- Caprylates, Environmental Monitoring, Fluorocarbons, Germany, Waste Disposal, Fluid, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Rivers
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