Concentration profiles of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in major sources to the environment
Abstract
A review of published literature was conducted to present the concentrations and composition profiles of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from significant sources to the environment. The major sources of PFAS to the environment are categorized under direct and indirect sources. The characteristic compounds and concentrations are summarized as found from direct sources such as manufacturing facilities, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) applications, metal coating operations, and textile and paper coating operations; and from indirect sources such as landfills and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The major findings are: 1) among the aqueous matrices for which data were reviewed, groundwater impacted by AFFF contamination showed the highest median concentrations for both perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), while the second-highest median concentrations were associated with landfill leachates for PFOA and metal-plating sources for PFOS; 2) many of the unknown polyfluorinated precursors present in AFFF-impacted sites could potentially convert to persistent PFAS by abiotic or biotic transformation, and therefore could act as the long-term source of contamination to the environment; 3) part per billion (ppb) concentrations of PFAS were detected in water bodies surrounding fluorochemical manufacturing plants; 4) in consumer products such as textile, paper, and personal care products, PFOA concentrations were an order of magnitude higher compared to other PFAS; 5) biotransformation products such as fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are detected in landfill leachates and WWTP effluents; and 6) many studies have shown increased PFAA concentrations in WWTP effluents compared to influents. This work provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the PFAS concentration and composition trends of select non-polymeric PFAS in different sources.
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Sources of PFAS to surface water include PFAS manufacturing, microchip manufacturing, metal-plating, textile industries, sewage treatment plants, combined sewer overflows, landfills, and aqueous film-forming foam releases.
“Sources of PFAS to surface water include PFAS manufacturing, microchip manufacturing, metal-plating, textile industries, sewage treatment plants (STPs), combined sewer overflows, landfills, and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) releases, among others.”
Pharmaceutical compounds fexofenadine and metformin, combined with the elements Zn, Gd, and B, have been used to trace and/or characterize wastewater effluent source inputs.
“The pharmaceutical compounds fexofenadine and metformin, combined with the elements Zn, Gd, and B, have been used to trace and/or characterize wastewater effluent source inputs.5,[52][53][54][55]”
These results by PFAS subgroup are consistent with studies that described environmental PFAS inputs from wastewater treatment plant sources.
“These results by the PFAS subgroup are consistent with studies that described environmental PFAS inputs from wastewater treatment plant sources.5,38”
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- Authors
- Dasu, K., Xia, X., Siriwardena, D., Klupinski, T. P., & Seay, B.
- Affiliations
- Battelle (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dasu, Kavitha
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Management
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-01
- Volume
- 301
- Pages
- 113879
- ISSN
- 0301-4797 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3201818598
- Semantic Scholar
- 2610c7a158ec7e3365f7b950d80842c9295de4b0
- Cited by
- 175
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 16
- FWCI
- 1.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Management (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Battelle
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS sources, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, groundwater contamination, landfill leachate, wastewater treatment plant effluent, metal plating, consumer goods, fluorotelomer carboxylic acids, perfluoroalkyl acids, biotransformation
- MeSH terms
- Carboxylic Acids, Fluorocarbons, Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Groundwater, Waste Disposal Facilities
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