Wang Yu-Qing, Hu Li-Xin, Liu Ting, Zhao Jia-Hui, Yang Yuan-Yuan, Liu You-Sheng, Ying Guang-Guo
SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Environ Int. 2022 May;163:107219. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107219. Epub 2022 Mar 30.
The massive use and the persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have led to their frequent detection in aquatic environments, which may further threaten drinking water safety. So far, our knowledge about the occurrence of PFAS in drinking water system is still very limited. Here we investigated the occurrence and removal of PFAS in a drinking water system using non-target, suspect and target screening strategies. Sampling was performed in three seasons in the drinking water system including a water source, two drinking water treatment plants, and tap water in five households. The results showed detection of 17 homologous series with 51 homologues in non-target screening and 50 potential PFAS detected in suspect screening. Probable structures were proposed for 15 PFAS with high confidence levels (the first three of the five levels), with seven of them being reported for the first time in drinking water system. Semi-quantification was performed on seven homologous series based on target PFAS, the estimated total concentrations for non-target PFAS ranged between 4.10 and 17.6 ng/L. Nine out of 50 target PFAS were found and precisely quantified (<LOQ-13.4 ng/L) with predominance of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA) and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSA). All target and non-target PFAS were detected in tap water with similar concentrations in all three seasons. Removal efficiency for the detected PFAS in each processing unit was almost zero, indicating the recalcitrance of these chemicals to the conventional treatment process. The findings from this study clearly show the wide presence of PFAS in the whole drinking water treatment process, and suggest an urgent need for effective removal technology for this group of chemicals.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）的大量使用及其持久性导致它们在水生环境中频繁被检测到，这可能进一步威胁饮用水安全。到目前为止，我们对饮用水系统中PFAS的存在情况了解仍然非常有限。在此，我们采用非靶向、可疑和靶向筛查策略，对饮用水系统中PFAS的存在情况和去除情况进行了调查。在饮用水系统的三个季节进行了采样，包括一个水源、两个饮用水处理厂以及五户家庭的自来水。结果显示，在非靶向筛查中检测到17个同系物系列共51种同系物，在可疑筛查中检测到50种潜在的PFAS。对15种置信水平高（五级中的前三级）的PFAS提出了可能的结构，其中7种是首次在饮用水系统中报道。基于目标PFAS对7个同系物系列进行了半定量，非目标PFAS的估计总浓度在4.10至17.6 ng/L之间。在50种目标PFAS中发现并精确量化了9种（<LOQ - 13.4 ng/L），以全氟羧酸（PFCA）和全氟磺酸（PFSA）为主。在所有三个季节的自来水中均检测到所有目标和非目标PFAS，且浓度相似。每个处理单元中检测到的PFAS的去除效率几乎为零，表明这些化学物质对传统处理工艺具有抗性。本研究结果清楚地表明PFAS在整个饮用水处理过程中广泛存在，并表明迫切需要针对这类化学物质的有效去除技术。
