Cited by 173Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchFluoride Effects and RemovalChemical Analysis and Environmental Impact

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 103 of the 105 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 17 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Global distributions, source-type dependencies, and concentration ranges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater

Open access

Abstract

A meta-analysis was conducted of published literature reporting concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater for sites distributed in 21 countries across the globe. Data for more than 35 PFAS were aggregated from 96 reports published from 1999 to 2021. The final data set comprised approximately 21,000 data points after removal of time-series and duplicate samples as well as non-detects. The reported concentrations ranged over many orders of magnitude, from ng/L to mg/L levels. Distinct differences in concentration ranges were observed between sites located within or near sources versus those that are not. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), ranging from <0.03 ng/L to ~7 mg/L, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), ranging from 0.01 ng/L to ~5 mg/L, were the two most reported PFAS. The highest PFAS concentration in groundwater was ~15 mg/L reported for the replacement-PFAS 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS). Maximum reported groundwater concentrations for PFOA and PFOS were compared to concentrations reported for soils, surface waters, marine waters, and precipitation. Soil concentrations are generally significantly higher than those reported for the other media. This accrues to soil being the primary entry point for PFAS release into the environment for many sites, as well as the generally significantly greater retention capacity of soil compared to the other media. The presence of PFAS has been reported for all media in all regions tested including areas that are far removed from specific PFAS sources. This gives rise to the existence of a “background” concentration of PFAS that must be accounted for in both regional and site-specific risk assessments. The presence of this background is a reflection of the large-scale use of PFAS, their general recalcitrance, and the action of long-range transport processes that distribute PFAS across regional and global scales. This ubiquitous distribution has the potential to significantly impact the quality and availability of water resources in many regions. In addition, the pervasive presence of PFAS in the environment engenders concerns for impacts to ecosystem and human health.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156602

Cites

103 of 103 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

70 Own result · 28 No basis given · 20 Own interpretation · 11 Not checked yet

Verify all 17 references — free account
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 26
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 9
34 of 34
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The reported PFAS concentrations represent total concentrations of individual PFAS.

    “Thus, the reported concentrations are assumed to represent total concentration of the individual PFAS.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The source-type classifications provided by the original studies are accurate.

    “The classification of the sites was based on information reported by the authors of the original studies.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Variations in sample processing, analysis methods, and detection limits across studies do not invalidate the aggregated comparisons.

    “Sample processing and analysis methods varied somewhat across the studies, and the reported quantitative detection limits (LOQ) also varied among the studies.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Excluding non-detects does not bias the concentration distributions.

    “Non-detects were not included in the analyses.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Many PFAS sources remain undiscovered.

    “considering that it is quite likely that there are many PFAS sources yet to be discovered.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The U.S. EPA set a 70 ng/L lifetime health advisory for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water.

    “These concentrations are below the EPA’s lifetime health advisory (LHA) of 70 ng/L”
6 of 6

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

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Metadata

Authors
Johnson, G. R., Brusseau, M. L., Carroll, K. C., Tick, G. R., & Duncan, C. M.
Affiliations
  • Portland State University (US)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • New Mexico State University (US)
  • University of Alabama (US)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (US)
Corresponding author
  • Johnson, Gwynn R.
  • Brusseau, Mark L.
Venue
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-10
Volume
841
Pages
156602
ISSN
0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4281734724
Cited by
173
References
105
Citations by year
2026: 51 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 3
FWCI
10.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Science of The Total Environment (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • PDXScholar (Portland State University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P42 ES04940)
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture (1023257)
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, groundwater contamination, global distribution, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, fluorotelomer sulfonates, background concentrations, long-range transport, soil contamination, water quality, risk assessment
MeSH terms
Fluorocarbons, Humans, Soil, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Ecosystem, Groundwater

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