Cited by 83Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchFluoride Effects and RemovalChemical Analysis and Environmental Impact

Long-distance transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a Swedish drinking water aquifer

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Sörengård, Mattias, Bergström, Sofia, McCleaf, Philip, Wiberg, Karin, Ahrens, Lutz·2022·Environmental Pollution

Abstract

Use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-containing aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) at firefighting training sites (FFTS) has been linked to PFAS contamination of drinking water. This study investigated PFAS transport and distribution in an urban groundwater aquifer used for drinking water production that has been affected by PFAS-containing AFFF. Soil, sediment, surface water and drinking water were sampled. In soil (n = 12) at a FFTS with high perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) content (87% of ∑PFAS), the ∑PFAS concentration (n = 26) ranged from below detection limit to 560 ng g -1 dry weight. In groundwater (n = 28), the ∑PFAS concentration near a military airbase FFTS reached 1000 ng L -1 . Principal component analysis (PCA) identified the military FFTS as the main source of PFAS contamination in drinking water wellfields >10 km down-gradient. Groundwater samples taken close to the military FFTS site showed no ∑PFAS concentration change between 2013 and 2021, while a location further down-gradient showed a transitory 99.6% decrease. Correlation analysis on PFAS composition profile indicated that this decrease was likely caused by dilution from an adjacent conflating aquifer. ∑PFAS concentration reached 15 ng L -1 (PFOS 47% and PFHxS 41% of ∑PFAS) in surface river water (n = 6) and ranged between 1 ng L -1 and 8 ng L -1 (PFHxS 73% and PFBS 17% of ∑PFAS) in drinking water (n = 4). Drinking water had lower PFAS concentrations than the wellfields due to PFAS removal a…

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119981

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Authors
Sörengård, M., Bergström, S., McCleaf, P., Wiberg, K., & Ahrens, L.
Affiliations
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
Corresponding author
Ahrens, Lutz
Venue
Environmental Pollution
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-10
Volume
311
Pages
119981
ISSN
0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4292911443
Cited by
83
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 12
FWCI
5.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2023-01-01)
Open access
Locations
  • Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Epsilon Open Archive (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet biblioteket (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Fluoride Effects and Removal
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Chemical Analysis and Environmental Impact
Keywords
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS transport, groundwater contamination, drinking water aquifers, aqueous film-forming foam, PFOS, PFHxS, PFBS
MeSH terms
Fluorocarbons, Soil, Sweden, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Groundwater, Drinking Water

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