Target and suspect screening of 4777 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in river water, wastewater, groundwater and biota samples in the Danube River Basin
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are under regulatory scrutiny since some of them are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. The occurrence of 4777 PFAS was investigated in the Danube River Basin (DRB; 11 countries) using target and suspect screening. Target screening involved investigation of PFAS with 56 commercially available reference standards. Suspect screening covered 4777 PFAS retrieved from the NORMAN Substance Database, including all individual PFAS lists submitted to the NORMAN Suspect List Exchange Database. Mass spectrometry fragmentation patterns and retention time index predictions of the studied PFAS were established for their screening by liquid chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry using NORMAN Digital Sample Freezing Platform (DSFP). In total, 82 PFAS were detected in the studied 95 samples of river water, wastewater, groundwater, biota and sediments. Suspect screening detected 72 PFAS that were missed by target screening. Predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) were derived for each PFAS via a quantitative structure-toxicity relationship (QSTR)-based approach and used for assessment of their environmental risk. Risk characterization revealed 18 PFAS of environmental concern in at least one matrix. The presence of PFAS in all studied environmental compartments across the DRB indicates a potentially large-scale migration of PFAS in Europe, which might require their further systematic regulatory monitoring.
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Within Serbia, only three surface water sampling locations were included in JDS4, the only Serbian sites in the survey.
“Within Serbia, only three surface water sampling locations were included, which were the only Serbian sites in the survey.”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
Data for the Danube River Basin, particularly in Serbia, remain scarce.
“However, data for the Danube River Basin (DRB), particularly in Serbia, remain scarce.”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
Ng et al. conducted a basin-wide PFAS investigation within JDS4, applying combined targeted and suspect screening to river water, wastewater, groundwater, and biota.
“At the regional level, Ng et al. [12] conducted a basin-wide PFAS investigation within the Joint Danube Survey 4 (JDS4) [13], applying combined targeted and suspect screening to river water, wastewater, groundwater, and biota.”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
Across the full JDS4 dataset, 18 out of 82 PFAS investigated were identified as being of potential environmental concern.
“Across the full JDS4 dataset, 18 out of the 82 PFAS investigated were identified as being of potential environmental concern”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
A larger study identified only 10 out of 56 targeted PFAS compounds through targeted analysis, and an additional 72 compounds using SSA, bringing the total number of PFAS identified to 82.
“identified only 10 out of 56 targeted PFAS compounds through targeted analysis, an additional 72 compounds were detected using SSA, bringing the total number of PFAS identified to 82.”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
In that larger study, 6:2 FTS was detected at concentrations ranging from 151 to 5101 ng/L (median 941 ng/L), and PFHxA at 1 to 11,894 ng/L (median 2296 ng/L); both were far above the respective average concentrations found in the present study.
“6:2 FTS was detected at concentrations ranging from 151 to 5101 ng/L, with a median value of 941 ng/L, while PFHxA was found at concentrations ranging from 1 ng/L to 11,894 ng/L, with a median value of 2296 ng/L; both compounds were detected far above the respective average concentrations found in the present study.”
From Integrated Targeted and Suspect Screening Workflow for Identifying PFAS of Concern in Urban-Impacted Serbian Rivers (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
Recent non-target and suspect screening studies have revealed a broader spectrum of PFAS in the Danube.
“Recent non-target and suspect screening studies have revealed a broader spectrum of PFAS in the Danube [88,124], highlighting the need for expanded targeted analysis to enhance our understanding of their occurrence and distribution in the region.”
From Investigating the extent of PFAS contamination in the Upper Danube Basin across environmental compartments (2025) · cites this paper as [88]
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- Authors
- Ng, K., Alygizakis, N., Androulakakis, A., Galani, A., Aalizadeh, R., Thomaidis, N. S., & Slobodnik, J.
- Affiliations
- Masaryk University (CZ)
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Alygizakis, Nikiforos
- Venue
- Journal of Hazardous Materials
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-08
- Volume
- 436
- Pages
- 129276
- ISSN
- 0304-3894 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4282011966
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 7
- FWCI
- 5.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Hazardous Materials (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (859891)
- Masarykova univerzita RECETOX
- 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 › Environmental Chemistry › Environmental Chemistry and Analysis
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, Danube basin, suspect screening, target screening, river water, wastewater, groundwater, biota, sediment, predicted no-effect concentration, quantitative structure-toxicity relationship, environmental risk assessment, Normans
- MeSH terms
- Fluorocarbons, Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Rivers, Biota, Groundwater, Wastewater
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