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Levels of Perfluorinated Chemicals in Municipal Drinking Water from Catalonia, Spain: Public Health Implications

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Abstract

In this study, the concentrations of 13 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) (PFBuS, PFHxS, PFOS, THPFOS, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTDA, and PFOSA) were analyzed in municipal drinking water samples collected at 40 different locations from 5 different zones of Catalonia, Spain. Detection limits ranged between 0.02 (PFHxS) and 0.85 ng/L (PFOA). The most frequent compounds were PFOS and PFHxS, which were detected in 35 and 31 samples, with maximum concentrations of 58.1 and 5.30 ng/L, respectively. PFBuS, PFHxA, and PFOA were also frequently detected (29, 27, and 26 samples, respectively), with maximum levels of 69.4, 8.55, and 57.4 ng/L. In contrast, PFDoDA and PFTDA could not be detected in any sample. The most contaminated water samples were found in the Barcelona Province, whereas none of the analyzed PFCs could be detected in two samples (Banyoles and Lleida), and only one PFC could be detected in four of the samples. Assuming a human water consumption of 2 L/day, the maximum daily intake of PFOS and PFOA from municipal drinking water would be, for a subject of 70 kg of body weight, 1.7 and 1.6 ng/kg/day. This is clearly lower than the respective Tolerable Daily Intake set by the European Food Safety Authority. In all samples, PFOS and PFOA also showed lower levels than the short-term provisional health advisory limit for drinking water (200 ng PFOS/L and 400 ng PFOA/L) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Although PFOS and PFOA concentrations found in drinking water in Catalonia are not expected to pose human health risks, safety limits for exposure to the remaining PFCs are clearly necessary, as health-based drinking water concentration protective for lifetime exposure is set to 40 ng/L for PFOA.

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Acknowledgment

This study was financially supported by the Catalan Public Health Agency, Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Man-Technology-Environment Research Center (MTM), Department of Natural Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden

    Ingrid Ericson, Bert van Bavel & Gunilla Lindström

  2. Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, “Rovira i Virgili” University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201, Reus, Spain

    José L. Domingo & Martí Nadal

  3. Catalan Public Health Agency, Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalunya, Roc Boronat 81-95, 08005, Barcelona, Spain

    Esther Bigas & Xavier Llebaria

Authors
  1. Ingrid Ericson
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  2. José L. Domingo
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  3. Martí Nadal
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  4. Esther Bigas
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  5. Xavier Llebaria
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  6. Bert van Bavel
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  7. Gunilla Lindström
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Correspondence to José L. Domingo.

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Ericson, I., Domingo, J.L., Nadal, M. et al. Levels of Perfluorinated Chemicals in Municipal Drinking Water from Catalonia, Spain: Public Health Implications. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 57, 631–638 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9375-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9375-y

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