Abstract
Severe perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminations have been observed in both surface water and groundwater in the vicinity of Fuxin, China, over the past years, attributing to the fast-growing fluorochemical industries locally. However, little is known about the overall daily intake of PFAS contaminations by Fuxin residents recently. In the present study, ten target PFAS analytes in the blood serum samples collected from 100 non-occupationally exposed healthy residents in Fuxin, with an average age of 47.6 years, together with 14 drinking water samples obtained from the public water system (PWS) of Fuxin were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromotography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). As the dominant PFAS contaminant, the serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Fuxin residents ranged between <0.05 and 160 ng/mL, with a median concentration of 9.4 ng/mL, which was higher than those reported previously for Fuxin and other areas worldwide. In drinking water samples, PFOA had a median value of 8.5 ng/L, ranging from 7.7 to 8.8 ng/L. Based upon the simplified one-compartment pharmacokinetic model, the total daily intake of PFOA for individuals residing in Fuxin ranged from 0.30 to 1.76 ng/kg bw/day, with a median of 0.79 ng/kg bw/day; furthermore, daily consumption of drinking water from the PWS in Fuxin appeared to contribute 35% of overall PFOA burden in local residents, which was approximately 3-fold higher compared to that estimated for Fuxin residents in 2009.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bao J, Liu W, Liu L, Jin Y, Dai J, Ran X, Zhang Z, Tsuda S (2011) Perfluorinated compounds in the environment and the blood of residents living near fluorochemical plants in Fuxin, China. Environ Sci Technol 45:8075–8080. doi:10.1021/es102610x
D’eon JC, Mabury SA (2011) Exploring indirect sources of human exposure to perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs): evaluating uptake, elimination, and biotransformation of polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (PAPs) in the rat. Environ Health Perspect 119:344–350. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002409
Fei C, McLaughlin JK, Lipworth L, Olsen J (2009) Maternal levels of perfluorinated chemicals and subfecundity. Hum Reprod 24:1200–1205. doi:10.1093/humrep/den490
Fromme H, Schlummer M, Möller A, Gruber L, Wolz G, Ungewiss J, Böhmer S, Dekant W, Mayer R, Liebl B, Twardella D (2007) Exposure of an adult population to perfluorinated substances using duplicate diet portions and biomonitoring data. Environ Sci Technol 41:7928–7933. doi:10.1021/es071244n
Fu Y, Wang T, Wang P, Fu Q, Lu Y (2014) Effects of age, gender and region on serum concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in general population of Henan, China. Chemosphere 110:104–110. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.02.020
Hansen KJ, Clemen LA, Ellefson ME, Johnson HO (2001) Compound-specific, quantitative characterization of organic fluorochemicals in biological matrices. Environ Sci Technol 35:766–770. doi:10.1021/es001489z
Hoffman K, Webster TF, Bartell SM, Weisskopf MG, Fletcher T, Vieira VM (2011) Private drinking water wells as a source of exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in communities surrounding a fluoropolymer production facility. Environ Health Perspect 119:92–97. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002503
Hölzer J, Midasch O, Rauchfuss K, Kraft M, Reupert R, Angerer J, Kleeschulte P, Marschall N, Wilhelm M (2008) Biomonitoring of perfluorinated compounds in children and adults exposed to perfluorooctanoate-contaminated drinking water. Environ Health Perspect 116:651–657. doi:10.1289/ehp.11064
Houde M, Martin JW, Letcher RJ, Solomon KR, Muir DC (2006) Biological monitoring of polyfluoroalkyl substances: a review. Environ Sci Technol 40:3463–3473. doi:10.1021/es052580b
Houde M, De Silva AO, Muir DC, Letcher RJ (2011) Monitoring of perfluorinated compounds in aquatic biota: an updated review. Environ Sci Technol 45:7962–7973. doi:10.1021/es104326w
Jin YH, Liu W, Sato I, Nakayama SF, Sasaki K, Saito N, Tsuda S (2009) PFOS and PFOA in environmental and tap water in China. Chemosphere 77:605–611. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.08.058
Kannan K, Corsolini S, Falandysz J, Fillmann G, Kumar KS, Loganathan BG, Mohd MA, Olivero J, Van Wouwe N, Yang JH, Aldoust KM (2004) Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in human blood from several countries. Environ Sci Technol 38:4489–4495. doi:10.1021/es0493446
Kissa E (2001) Fluorinated surfactants and repellents, 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, New York
Lau C, Anitole K, Hodes C, Lai D, Pfahles-Hutchens A, Seed J (2007) Perfluoroalkyl acids: a review of monitoring and toxicological findings. Toxicol Sci 99:366–394. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfm128
Lindstrom AB, Strynar MJ, Delinsky AD, Nakayama SF, McMillan L, Libelo EL, Neill M, Thomas L (2011) Application of WWTP biosolids and resulting perfluorinated compound contamination of surface and well water in Decatur, Alabama, USA. Environ Sci Technol 45:8015–8021. doi:10.1021/es1039425
Mak YL, Taniyasu S, Yeung LW, Lu G, Jin L, Yang Y, Lam PK, Kannan K, Yamashita N (2009) Perfluorinated compounds in tap water from China and several other countries. Environ Sci Technol 43:4824–4829. doi:10.1021/es900637a
Melzer D, Rice N, Depledge MH, Henley WE, Galloway TS (2010) Association between serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and thyroid disease in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Environ Health Perspect 118(5):686–692. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901584
Moody CA, Hebert GN, Strauss SH, Field JA (2003) Occurrence and persistence of perfluorooctanesulfonate and other perfluorinated surfactants in groundwater at a fire-training area at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, USA. J Environ Monit 5:341–345. doi:10.1039/b212497a
Nelson JW, Hatch EE, Webster TF (2010) Exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and cholesterol, body weight, and insulin resistance in the general U.S. population. Environ Health Perspect 118:197–202. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901165
Nilsson H, Kärrman A, Rotander A, van Bavel B, Lindström G, Westberg H (2010) Inhalation exposure to fluorotelomer alcohols yield perfluorocarboxylates in human blood? Environ Sci Technol 44:7717–7722. doi:10.1021/es101951t
OECD (2002) Hazard assessment of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its salts. www.oecd.org/env/ehs/risk-assessment/2382880.pdf. Accessed 8 Aug 2016
Olsen GW, Burris JM, Ehresman DJ, Froehlich JW, Seacat AM, Butenhoff JL, Zobel LR (2007) Half-life of serum elimination of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanoate in retired fluorochemical production workers. Environ Health Perspect 115:1298–1305. doi:10.1289/ehp.10009
Saito N, Harada K, Inoue K, Sasaki K, Yoshinaga T, Koizumi A (2004) Perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations in surface water in Japan. J Occup Health 46:49–59. doi:10.1539/joh.46.49
Steenland K, Tinker S, Shankar A, Ducatman A (2010) Association of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) with uric acid among adults with elevated community exposure to PFOA. Environ Health Perspect 118:229–233. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900940
Strynar MJ, Lindstrom AB (2008) Perfluorinated compounds in house dust from Ohio and North Carolina, USA. Environ Sci Technol 42:3751–3756. doi:10.1021/es7032058
Toms LM, Thompson J, Rotander A, Hobson P, Calafat AM, Kato K, Ye X, Broomhall S, Harden F, Mueller JF (2014) Decline in perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate serum concentrations in an Australian population from 2002 to 2011. Environ Int 71:74–80. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2014.05.019
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012) Third unregulated contaminant monitoring rule. https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/third-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule. Accessed 8 Aug 2016
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016a) Fact sheet: PFOA and PFOS drinking water health advisories. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/drinkingwaterhealthadvisories_pfoa_pfos_updated_5.31.16.pdf. Accessed 15 Nov 2016
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016b) Health effects support document for PFOA. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-05/documents/pfoa_hesd_final_508.pdf. Accessed 15 Nov 2016
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016c) UCMR 3 data summary. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-10/documents/ucmr3-data-summary.pdf. Accessed 15 Nov 2016
UNEP (2009) Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). http://chm.pops.int/Portals/0/Repository/convention_text/UNEP-POPS-COP-CONVTEXT-FULL.English.PDF. Accessed 8 Aug 2016
UNEP (2015) Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/POPsReviewCommittee/Meetings/POPRC11/Overview/tabid/4558/ctl/Download/mid/14594/Default.aspx?id=5&ObjID=21458. Accessed 8 Aug 2016
Zhang T, Wu Q, Sun HW, Zhang XZ, Yun SH, Kannan K (2010) Perfluorinated compounds in whole blood samples from infants, children, and adults in China. Environ Sci Technol 44:4341–4347. doi:10.1021/es1002132
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 21507092) and Open Foundation of Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE) (No. KLIEEE-13-02).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bao, J., Liu, L., Wang, X. et al. Human exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances near a fluorochemical industrial park in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 9194–9201 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8620-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8620-6