A review of spatial and temporal assessment of PFOS and PFOA contamination in China

Abstract

The current state of concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in China is presented. While products that are known to degrade to either PFOS or PFOA have been used in China, concentrations in environmental media have been reported to be relatively low across China. Greater concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were observed in southern and eastern China than in other areas of China. Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were relatively great in the Huangpu River, with concentrations of 20.5 ng l⁻¹ and 1590 ng l⁻¹, respectively. Surface waters of Dongguan and Shanghai were more contaminated by PFOS and PFOA than that of other cities. Dongguan was the only city in China in which PFOS value in surface water exceeded the water quality criterion, while PFOA concentration in Shanghai was 152 ng l⁻¹. Similar to other contaminants, point-source pollution was also the common pattern of PFOS and PFOA contamination. Concentrations of PFOS in human blood in China were relatively greater in China than other countries, with drinking water contamination given as the most likely source. Concentrations of PFOS in human blood have increased from the 1980s to the 2000s, while such a trend was not observed for PFOA.

Keywords:

• persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• perfluorinated organic pollutants (PFOS; PFOA)
• fresh water systems
• humans
• organisms

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” Research Program) with Grant No. 2007CB407307 and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with Grant No. KZCX2-YW-420-5, and No. KZCX1-YW-06-05-02. The authors would like to thank Prof. John Giesy (Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences & Toxicology Center, University of Saskatchewan) for language polishing, editing and constructive suggestions.