Distribution of perfluorinated compounds in aquatic systems in the Netherlands
Open accessAbstract
The distribution of 15 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) among eel (Anguilla anguilla), sediment, and water was investigated for 21 locations in The Netherlands. Furthermore, for perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), a 30 year time series was measured for three locations using historical eel samples. These historical samples revealed concentrations increasing by a factor of 2-4 until the mid-1990s, followed by a return to the initial levels. In the samples described here, PFOS dominated aqueous concentrations, ranging from 4.7 to 32 ng/L in water, from 0.5 to 8.7 ng/g in sediment, and from 7 to 58 ng/g in eel filet. Field-based sediment water distribution coefficients (K(D)) were calculated and corrected for organic carbon content (K(OC)), which reduced variability among samples. Log K(OC) ranges were 2.6-3.7 for the C7-C9 carboxylic acids and 2.2-3.2 for the C4-C8 sulfonates. Bioaccumulation factors (log BAFs) for eel ranged from 1.09-3.26 for the C7-C9 carboxylic acids to 1.4-3.3 for the C4-C8 sulfonates. Perfluoroalkyl chain length correlated well with both sorption and bioaccumulation factors. Magnitudes and trends in K(D) or BAF appeared to agree well with previously published laboratory data. Results imply that PFCs are mainly present in water, which is important for PFC fate modeling and risk assessment.
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Kwadijk et al. (2010) found perfluorocarbon chain length was strongly correlated with BAFs.
“they found perfluorocarbon chain length was strongly correlated with BAFs (Kwadijk et al., 2010).”
From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the marine environment: An overview and prospects (2025) · cites this paper as Kwadijk et al., 2010
Kwadijk et al. (2010) reported log-transformed bioaccumulation factors (log BAFs) of C7-C9 PFCAs and C4-C8 PFSAs were 1.09-3.26 and 1.4-3.3, respectively.
“reported log-transformed bioaccumulation factors (log BAFs) of C7− C9 PFCAs and C4− C8 PFSAs were 1.09− 3.26 and 1.4− 3.3, respectively”
From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the marine environment: An overview and prospects (2025) · cites this paper as Kwadijk et al., 2010
The passages available from our copy contain bibliographic details and keywords, but no bioaccumulation-factor results. Searches for the stated log BAF ranges and for PFCA/PFSA bioaccumulation factors returned no passage that verifies the numbers. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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- Authors
- Kwadijk, C. J. A. F., Korytár, P., & Koelmans, A. A.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen Marine Research (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Kwadijk, C. J. A. F.
- ORCID
- Koelmans, A. A.
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2010-05-15
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 3746-3751
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2153448223
- Cited by
- 234
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 13.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.wur.nl
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- 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 › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Keywords
- perfluorinated compounds, PFOS, eel, Anguilla anguilla, bioaccumulation factor, perfluorocarboxylic acids, historical time series, organic carbon partitioning, aquatic ecosystems, risk assessment, Netherlands
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Eels, Fluorocarbons, Netherlands, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Risk Assessment, Geologic Sediments, Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization, Tandem Mass Spectrometry
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