Occurrence and fate of legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in freshwater after an industrial fire of unknown chemical stockpiles
Abstract
An industrial warehouse illegally storing a large quantity of unknown chemical and industrial waste ignited in an urban area in Melbourne, Australia. The multiday fire required firefighters to use large amounts of fluorine-free foam that carried contaminated firewater runoff into an adjacent freshwater creek. In this study, the occurrence and fate of 42 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) was determined from triplicate surface water samples (n = 45) from five locations (upstream, point-source, downstream; 8 km) over three sampling campaigns from 2018 to 2020. Out of the 42 target PFASs, perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs: C4-C14), perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs: C4-C10), and perfluoroalkyl acid precursors (e.g. 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTSA)) were ubiquitously detected in surface waters (concentration ranges: <0.7-3000 ng/L). A significant difference in ΣPFAS concentration was observed at the point-source (mean 5500 ng/L; 95% CI: 4800, 6300) relative to upstream sites (mean 100 ng/L; 95% CI: 90, 110; p ≤ 0.001). The point-source ΣPFAS concentration decreased from 5500 ± 1200 ng/L to 960 ± 42 ng/L (-83%) after two months and to 430 ± 15 ng/L (-98%) two years later. 6:2 FTSA and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) dominated in surface water, representing on average 31% and 20% of the ΣPFAS, respectively. Emerging PFASs including a cyclic perfluoroalkanesulfonate (PFECHS) and a C4 perfluoroalkane sulfonamide (FBSA) were repeatedly present in surface water (concentration ranges <0.3-77 ng/L). According to the updated Australian PFAS guidelines for ecological conservation, the water samples collected at the time of monitoring may have posed a short-term risk to aquatic organisms in regard to PFOS levels. These results illustrate that acute high dose exposure to PFASs can result from industrial fires at sites storing or stockpiling PFAS-based waste products. Continued monitoring will be crucial to evaluate potential long-term risk to wildlife in the region.
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The large relative standard deviation for PFMBA, PFPeA, PFHpA and PFHxS may be because firewater runoff was not homogenous at the time of sampling.
“A large relative standard deviation was observed for PFMBA (62%), PFPeA (28%), PFHpA (28%) and PFHxS (65%) as firewater runoff may not have been homogenous at the time of the sampling”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
Marchiandi et al. (2021) monitored PFAS in freshwater after a major industrial warehouse fire and reported the occurrence of 42 PFAS including PFCA, PFSA, PFECHS and FBSA with concentration up to 5500 ng/L.
“Marchiandi et al. (2021) recently monitored PFAS in freshwater after a major industrial warehouse fire incident reported the occurrence of 42 PFAS including PFCA, PFSA, cyclic perfluoroalkanesulfonate (PFECHS) and perfluoroalkane sulfonamide (FBSA) with concentration up to 5500 ng/L”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
Reported concentrations of PFAAs in this study are lower than the concentrations reported in recent similar investigation in Australia (Marchiandi et al., 2021).
“Reported concentrations of PFAAs in this study are lower than the concentrations reported in recent similar investigation in Australia”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
This result is in contrast with the previous similar study which reported higher level of 6:2 FTSA (3000 ng/L) at the point source site 1.
“On the other hand, this result is in contrast with the previous similar study which reported higher level of 6:2 FTSA (3000 ng/L) at the point source site 1”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
The mean concentration of FBSA over all freshwater samples in this study (4.7 ng/L) was higher than what was reported by Marchiandi (2021) (1.4 ng/L).
“The mean concentration of FBSA over all freshwater samples in this study (4.7 ng/L) was higher than what was reported by Marchiandi (2021) (1.4 ng/L)”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
The concentration level of diPAPs in this study was low compared to the findings of Marchiandi et al. (2021) with 32 ng/L of 6:2 diPAP.
“However, the concentration level of diPAPs in this study was low compared to the findings of ( Marchiandi et al. , 2021 ) with (32 ng/L) of 6:2 diPAP.”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
Most reported PFOS mean concentrations in Victorian surface water are above the Australian guideline value for 99% species protection.
“most of the reported PFOS mean concentration in Victorian surface water is above this guideline value ( Allinson et al. , 2019 ;Coggan et al. , 2019a ;Marchiandi et al. , 2021 )”
From Release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a waste management facility fire to an urban creek (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al. , 2021
The occurrence of novel PFAS such as PFBS, PFECA, and PFESA has been reported in surface water and groundwater in China, the USA, the UK, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Korea.
“The occurrence of novel PFAS such as PFBS, PFECA, and PFESA has also been reported in surface water and groundwater in China, the USA, the UK, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Korea (Bräunig et al., 2017; Pan et al., 2018; Marchiandi et al., 2021).”
From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and wastewater: A critical review of their global occurrence and distribution (2022) · cites this paper as Marchiandi et al., 2021
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- Authors
- Marchiandi, J., Szabo, D., Dagnino, S., Green, M. P., & Clarke, B. O.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Clarke, Bradley O.
- Venue
- Environmental Pollution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-06
- Volume
- 278
- Pages
- 116839
- ISSN
- 0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3134085978
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 5
- FWCI
- 2.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Melbourne
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS contamination, industrial fire, surface water contamination, PFOS, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, perfluorocarboxylates, emerging PFASs, aquatic organisms
- MeSH terms
- Australia, Environmental Monitoring, Fluorocarbons, Fresh Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids
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