CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 176Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchFluoride Effects and RemovalWater Treatment and Disinfection

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution

Open access
Liu, Liquan, Qu, Yingxi, Huang, Jun, Weber, Roland·2021·Environmental Sciences Europe
DOI 10.1186/s12302-020-00425-3
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Abstract Background In recent years, the widespread presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the environment and the related exposures and adverse health effects has received increasing attention. However, PFASs are not routinely monitored in drinking water in many parts of the world, including China. PFAS data are mainly generated by research studies. This paper provides an overview of the available research studies on PFASs in Chinese drinking water to better understand the current status of PFAS contamination and the potential for exposure. Results The available studies provided PFAS data from 526 drinking water samples across 66 cities in China with a total of approximately 452 million inhabitants. We mapped the risk distribution associated with PFAS-contaminated drinking water in China by comparing the measured levels with recent international guidelines. The PFAS concentrations reported in more than 20% of the studied cities, likely affecting 98.5 million people, were above the maximum contaminant level issued by Vermont in 2019. Furthermore, we also investigated the human exposure to PFASs in drinking water by estimating total daily intakes based on Exposure Factors Handbook of Chinese Population. This study revealed that East China and the Southwest regions posed a relatively higher risk to the Chinese population and some cities in the Yangtze River basin such as Zigong, Jiujiang, Lianyungang and a considerable share of other cities have exceeded the health-based guidelines issued by EU and US agencies. Conclusion Drinking water in many cities and regions in China is contaminated with PFASs at levels of concern. PFAS elimination of PFASs from drinking water in contaminated cities and affected regions in China is urgently needed. PFAS releases from industries and other sources need better control and reduction. Further monitoring in remote Chinese regions is needed to overcome the knowledge gaps for a more comprehensive understanding of population exposure. The current risk assessment of PFASs in China should be re-evaluated considering the most recent toxicological studies, to clarify if the guidelines need to be lowered as recently done in Europe and the United States. This is necessary to have the best national base for risk assessment and a science-based driver for countermeasures.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1186/s12302-020-00425-3

Cites

5 of 5 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

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.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 48

  1. Jin YH, Liu W, Sato I, Nakayama SF, Sasaki K, Saito N et al (2009) PFOS and PFOA in environmental and tap water in China. Chemosphere 77:605-611. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemo spher e.2009.08.058 · DOI · Paper page
  2. Prevedouros K, Cousins IT, Buck RC, Korzeniowski SH (2006) Sources, fate and transport of perfluorocarboxylates. Environ Sci Technol 40:32-44. https ://doi.org/10.1021/es051 2475 · DOI · Paper page
  3. Thompson J, Eaglesham G, Mueller J (2011) Concentrations of PFOS, PFOA and other perfluorinated alkyl acids in Australian drinking water. Chemosphere 83:1320-1325. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemo spher e.2011.04.017 · DOI
  4. Kunacheva C, Fujii S, Tanaka S, Seneviratne ST, Lien NP, Nozoe M et al (2012) Worldwide surveys of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and per- fluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in water environment in recent years. Water Sci Technol 66:2764-2771. https ://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.518 · DOI
  5. Ao J, Yuan T, Xia H, Ma Y, Shen Z, Shi R et al (2019) Characteristic and human exposure risk assessment of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances: a study based on indoor dust and drinking water in China. Environ Pollut 254:112873. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpo l.2019.07.041 · DOI
  6. Wang T, Wang P, Meng J, Liu S, Lu Y, Khim JS et al (2015) A review of sources, multimedia distribution and health risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in China. Chemosphere 129:87-99. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j. chemo spher e.2014.09.021 · DOI · Paper page
  7. Banjabi AA, Li AJ, Kumosani TA, Yousef JM, Kannan K (2020) Serum con- centrations of perfluoroalkyl substances and their association with osteo- porosis in a population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Environ Res 187:109676. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envre s.2020.10967 6 · DOI
  8. Lorber M, Egeghy PP (2011) Simple intake and pharmacokinetic modeling to characterize exposure of Americans to perfluoroctanoic acid, PFOA. Environ Sci Technol 45:8006-8014. https ://doi.org/10.1021/ es103 718h · DOI
  9. Sunderland EM, Hu XC, Dassuncao C, Tokranov AK, Wagner CC, Allen JG (2019) A review of the pathways of human exposure to poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and present understanding of health effects. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 29:131-147. https ://doi. org/10.1038/s4137 0-018-0094-1 · DOI · Paper page
  10. Lu Y, Luo B, Li J, Dai JY (2016) Perfluorooctanoic acid disrupts the blood-testis barrier and activates the TNFα/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Arch Toxicol 90(4):971-983. https ://doi. org/10.1007/s0020 4-015-1492-y · DOI
  11. Liu WX, Wu JY, He W, Xu FL (2019) A review on perfluoroalkyl acids studies: environmental behaviors, toxic effects, and ecologi- cal and health risks. Ecosyst Health Sustain 5(1):1-19. https ://doi. org/10.1080/20964 129.2018.15580 31 · DOI
  12. Steenland K, Fletcher T, Savitz DA (2010) Epidemiologic evidence on the health effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Environ Health Perspect 118:1100-1108. https ://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.09018 27 · DOI · Paper page
  13. Hu XC, Andrews DQ, Lindstrom AB, Bruton TA, Schaider LA, Grandjean P et al (2016) Detection of Poly-and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in U.S. Drinking Water Linked to Industrial Sites, Military Fire Train- ing Areas, and Wastewater Treatment Plants. Environ Sci Technol Lett 3:344-350. https ://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estle tt.6b002 60 · DOI · Paper page
  14. Essumang DK, Eshun A, Hogarh JN, Bentum JK, Adjei JK, Negishi J et al (2017) Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the Pra and Kakum River basins and associated tap water in Ghana. Sci Total Environ 579:729-735. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2016.11.035 · DOI · Paper page
  15. Unlu Endirlik B, Bakir E, Bosgelmez II, Eken A, Narin I, Gurbay A (2019) Assessment of perfluoroalkyl substances levels in tap and bottled water samples from Turkey. Chemosphere 235:1162-1171. https ://doi. org/10.1016/j.chemo spher e.2019.06.228 · DOI
  16. Qiu Y, Jing H, Shi H (2010) Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs) in surface and tap water around Lake Taihu in China. Front Environ Sci Eng 4:301-310. https ://doi. org/10.1007/s1178 3-010-0236-8 · DOI
  17. Takagi S, Adachi F, Miyano K, Koizumi Y, Tanaka H, Mimura M et al (2008) Perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in raw and treated tap water from Osaka, Japan. Chemosphere 72:1409-1412. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemo spher e.2008.05.034 · DOI
  18. Cordner A, De La Rosa VY, Schaider LA, Rudel RA, Richter L, Brown P (2019) Guideline levels for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water: the role of scientific uncertainty, risk assessment decisions, and social factors. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 29:157-171. https ://doi.org/10.1038/s4137 0-018-0099-9 · DOI · Paper page
  19. Grandjean P, Budtz-Jørgensen E (2013) Immunotoxicity of per- fluorinated alkylates: calculation of benchmark doses based on serum concentrations in children. Environ Health 12:35. https ://doi. org/10.1186/1476-069X-12-35 · DOI
  20. Chen C, Lu Y, Zhang X, Geng J, Wang T, Shi Y et al (2009) A review of spa- tial and temporal assessment of PFOS and PFOA contamination in China. Chem Ecol 25:163-177. https ://doi.org/10.1080/02757 54090 29183 21 · DOI
  21. Song X, Vestergren R, Shi Y, Huang J, Cai Y (2018) Emissions, Transport, and Fate of Emerging Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from One of the Major Fluoropolymer Manufacturing Facilities in China. Environ Sci Technol 52:9694-9703. https ://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b066 57 · DOI
  22. Lu Z, Lu R, Zheng H, Yan J, Song L, Wang J et al (2018) Risk exposure assessment of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking water and atmosphere in central eastern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:9311-9320. https ://doi.org/10.1007/s1135 6-017-0950-x · DOI
  23. Fang S, Sha B, Yin H, Bian Y, Yuan B, Cousins IT (2020) Environment occur- rence of perfluoroalkyl acids and associated human health risks near a major fluorochemical manufacturing park in southwest of China. J Hazard Mater 396:122617. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazm at.2020.12261 7 · DOI
  24. Zhang S, Kang Q, Peng H, Ding M, Zhao F, Zhou Y et al (2019) Relationship between perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate blood con- centrations in the general population and routine drinking water expo- sure. Environ Int 126:54-60. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envin t.2019.02.009 · DOI
  25. Mak YL, Taniyasu S, Yeung LWY, Lu G, Jin L, Yang Y et al (2009) Perfluori- nated compounds in tap water from China and several other countries. Environ Sci Technol 43:4824-4829. https ://doi.org/10.1021/es900 637a · DOI
  26. Lu GH, Gai N, Zhang P, Piao HT, Chen S, Wang XC et al (2017) Perfluoro- alkyl acids in surface waters and tapwater in the Qiantang River water- shed-Influences from paper, textile, and leather industries. Chemosphere 185:610-617. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemo spher e.2017.06.139 · DOI
  27. Thomaidi VS, Tsahouridou A, Matsoukas C, Stasinakis AS, Petreas M, Kalantzi OI (2020) Risk assessment of PFASs in drinking water using a probabilistic risk quotient methodology. Sci Total Environ 712:136485. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2019.13648 5 · DOI
  28. Zhang T, Sun H, Lin Y, Wang L, Zhang X, Liu Y et al (2011) Perfluorinated compounds in human blood, water, edible freshwater fish, and seafood in China: daily intake and regional differences in human exposures. J Agric Food Chem 59:11168-11176. https ://doi.org/10.1021/jf200 7216 · DOI
  29. Duan XL et al (2013) Exposure factors handbook of Chinese population [M]. China Environmental Press, Beijing
  30. Chen R, Li G, Yu Y, Ma X, Zhuang Y, Tao H et al (2019) Occurrence and transport behaviors of perfluoroalkyl acids in drinking water distribution systems. Sci Total Environ 697:134162. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2019.13416 2 · DOI
  31. Bertanza G, Capoferri GU, Carmagnani M, Icarelli F, Sorlini S, Pedraz- zani R (2020) Long-term investigation on the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant in the Veneto Region, Italy. Sci Total Environ 734:139154. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2020.13915 4 · DOI · Paper page
  32. Li Y, Li J, Zhang L, Huang Z, Liu Y, Wu N et al (2019) Perfluoroalkyl acids in drinking water of China in 2017: distribution characteristics, influenc- ing factors and potential risks. Environ Int 123:87-95. https ://doi. org/10.1016/j.envin t.2018.11.036 · DOI
  33. Tan KY, Lu GH, Yuan X, Zheng Y, Shao PW, Zhao YR et al (2018) Perfluoro- alkyl Substances in Water from the Yangtze River and Its Tributaries at the Dividing Point Between the Middle and Lower Reaches. Bull Environ Con- tam Toxicol 101(5):598-603. https ://doi.org/10.1007/s0012 8-018-2444-z · DOI
  34. Bao J, Liu W, Liu L, Jin Y, Dai J, Ran X et al (2011) Perfluorinated Com- pounds in the Environment and the Blood of Residents Living near Fluorochemical Plants in Fuxin, China. Environ Sci Technol 45:8075-8080. https ://doi.org/10.1021/es102 610x · DOI
  35. Ericson I, Domingo JL, Nadal M, Bigas E, Llebaria X, van Bavel B et al (2009) Levels of perfluorinated chemicals in municipal drinking water from Catalonia, Spain: public health implications. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 57:631-638. https ://doi.org/10.1007/s0024 4-009-9375-y · DOI
  36. Kim S-K, Kho YL, Shoeib M, Kim K-S, Kim K-R, Park J-E et al (2011) Occur- rence of perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctanesulfonate in the Korean water system: implication to water intake exposure. Environ Pollu 159:1167-1173. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpo l.2011.02.004 · DOI
  37. Post GB, Louis JB, Cooper KR, Boros-Russo BJ, Lippincott RL (2009) Occurrence and Potential Significance of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Detected in New Jersey Public Drinking Water Systems. Environ Sci Tech- nol 43:4547-4554. https ://doi.org/10.1021/es900 301s · DOI · Paper page
  38. Steenland K, Jin C, MacNeil J, Lally C, Ducatman A, Vieira V et al (2009) Predictors of PFOA Levels in a Community Surrounding a Chemical Plant. Environ Health Perspect 117:1083-1088. https ://doi.org/10.1289/ ehp.08002 94 · DOI
  39. Mumtaz M, Bao Y, Liu L, Huang J, Cagnetta G, Yu G (2019) Per-and poly- fluoroalkyl substances in representative fluorocarbon surfactants used in Chinese film-forming foams: levels, profile shift, and environmental implications (vol 6, pg 259, 2019). Environ Sci Technol Lett 6:430. https :// doi.org/10.1021/acs.estle tt.9b003 30 · DOI
  40. Mumtaz M, Bao Y, Li W, Kong L, Huang J, Yu G (2019) Screening of textile finishing agents available on the Chinese market: an important source of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances to the environment. Front Environ Sci Eng. https ://doi.org/10.1007/s1178 3-019-1145-0 · DOI · Paper page
  41. Guardian MGE, Boongaling EG, Bernardo-Boongaling VRR, Gamon- chuang J, Boontongto T, Burakham R et al (2020) Prevalence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking and source water from two Asian countries. Chemosphere 256:127115. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j. chemo spher e.2020.12711 5 · DOI
  42. Qu Y, Jiang X, Cagnetta G, Liu L, Bao Y, Li W et al (2019) Poly-and per- fluoroalkyl substances in a drinking water treatment plant in the Yangtze River Delta of China: temporal trend, removal and human health risk. Sci Total Environ. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2019.13394 9 · DOI
  43. Kabore HA, Vo Duy S, Munoz G, Meite L, Desrosiers M, Liu J et al (2018) Worldwide drinking water occurrence and levels of newly-identified perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Sci Total Environ 616-617:1089-1100. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2017.10.210 · DOI · Paper page
  44. Zhou J, Li Z, Guo X, Li Y, Wu Z, Zhu L (2019) Evidences for replacing legacy per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances with emerging ones in Fen and Wei River basins in central and western China. J Hazard Mater 377:78-87. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazm at.2019.05.050 · DOI
  45. EFSA (2020) Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoro- alkyl substances in food. EFSA J 18(9):e06223. https ://doi.org/10.2903/j. efsa.2020.6223 · DOI · Paper page
  46. Zhou W, Zhao S, Tong C, Chen L, Yu X, Yuan T et al (2019) Dietary intake, drinking water ingestion and plasma perfluoroalkyl substances concen- tration in reproductive aged Chinese women. Environ Int 127:487-494. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envin t.2019.03.075 · DOI · Paper page
  47. EFSA (2018) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM), risk to human health related to the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid in food. EFSA J 16(12):e05194. https ://doi. org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5194 · DOI
  48. Domingo JL, Nadal M (2019) Human exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water: a review of the recent scien- tific literature. Environ Res 177:108648. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.envre s.2019.10864 8 · DOI · Paper page

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Liu, L., Qu, Y., Huang, J., & Weber, R.
Affiliations
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (CN)
Corresponding author
Huang, Jun
ORCID
Venue
Environmental Sciences Europe
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-01-12
Volume
33
Issue
1
ISSN
  • 2190-4715 (ISSN-L)
  • 2190-4707
DOI
10.1186/s12302-020-00425-3
OpenAlex
W3164650696
Cited by
176
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 1
FWCI
9.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
Environmental Sciences Europe (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (2017ZX07202-001, 2017ZX07202-004)
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 › Water Treatment and Disinfection
Keywords
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS contamination, drinking water, human exposure, total daily intake, health risk assessment, maximum contaminant levels, geographic distribution, Yangtze River Basin, China

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review