Legacy and novel perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in industrial wastewater and the receiving river water: temporal changes in relative abundances of regulated compounds and alternatives
Abstract
Concentrations of 28 novel and legacy perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in wastewater from 77 industrial plants in the largest industrial complex in Korea were determined. The industrial plants were of eight types (advanced electronic, battery, chemical, general electronic, glass and ceramic, metal, polymer, and textile). PFAS concentrations in river water receiving the wastewater were determined to assess the impact of wastewater from the industrial complex. Only 19 and nine target PFASs were detected in untreated industrial wastewater and river water, respectively. Novel PFASs such as F53B (6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate) were not detected. The mean PFASs concentration in industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent was 5.18 µg/L. The mean total PFASs concentration was highest in advanced electronic plant effluent, second highest in general electronic plant effluent, and lowest in battery and chemical plant effluents. Perfluorohexane sulfonate was the dominant homolog, being detected in effluent from plants of all classes and contributing 96% of total discharged PFASs by mass. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (included in the Stockholm Convention) use has decreased markedly since previous studies. Perfluorooctane sulfonate has largely been replaced by PFASs with fewer than seven carbon atoms. A similar change was found for river water receiving industrial wastewater.
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The levels of PFAS in wastewater from 77 different industrial plants in Korea were lower in both influent and effluent than those found in this study.
“The levels of PFAS in wastewater from 77 different industrial plants in Korea were also lower in both in fl uent and ef fl uent than those found in our study (Kim et al., 2021).”
From Occurrence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in wastewater treatment plants in Northern Italy (2023) · cites this paper as Kim et al., 2021
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References 35 · Cited by 102
- Authors
- Kim, K. Y., Ndabambi, M., Choi, S., & Oh, J.-E.
- Affiliations
- Pusan National University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Oh, Jeong-Eun
- Venue
- Water Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 191
- Pages
- 116830
- ISSN
- 0043-1354 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3120954626
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 7
- FWCI
- 5.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Water Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Fluorine in Organic Chemistry
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs, industrial wastewater, river water, PFOS, PFHxS, Stockholm Convention, PFAS alternatives, wastewater treatment plant effluent, industrial complex, electronics industry, battery industry
- MeSH terms
- Environmental Monitoring, Fluorocarbons, Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Rivers, Republic of Korea, Wastewater
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