Ulrich H, Heldele A-S, Gierig M, Letzel T, Drewes J E
Bavarian Environment Agency, Demollstr. 31, 82407, Wielenbach, Germany; Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748, Garching, Germany.
Bavarian Environment Agency, Demollstr. 31, 82407, Wielenbach, Germany.
Chemosphere. 2025 Sep;386:144612. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144612. Epub 2025 Aug 8.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a point source for the release of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. In our study we investigated wastewater effluent and mixed liquor samples for PFAS in order to obtain information on the current PFAS contamination in municipal WWTPs in Bavaria, Germany. In addition to PFAS target analysis, the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay was used as a PFAS sum parameter to obtain information on the precursor concentration in the samples. The sewersheds of the investigated wastewater treatment plants were characterized according to the industrial sectors that discharge into the public sewer system using the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) code. Known PFAS were detected in all effluent samples, except one, and in concentrations up to 4.700 ng L. The concentrations in effluent samples varied widely between the different sampling dates at the individual WWTPs and also between the different WWTPs. The PFAS concentration in the effluent of 65 % of the WWTPs investigated increased significantly by a factor of 2.9 on average after the TOP assay. In the mixed liquor samples, the PFAS concentration ranged between 56 and 440 μg kg dw. The concentration varied less than in the effluent samples. After the TOP assay the PFAS concentration in the mixed liquor samples increased on average by a factor of 4. The NACE codes alone cannot be used to determine whether low or high PFAS concentrations are to be expected in a municipal WWTP. However, they can provide an indication of PFAS dischargers and help to prioritize further investigations. Without the TOP assay, the PFAS concentration in the effluent and the mixed liquor samples is clearly underestimated. Our investigations identified hotspots with very high PFAS concentrations in the WWTP effluents. Measures must be taken at the sources to prevent the further release of PFAS into the environment via municipal WWTPs.
污水处理厂是全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）释放到环境中的一个点源。在我们的研究中，我们调查了污水处理厂的废水排放和混合液样本中的PFAS，以便获取有关德国巴伐利亚州城市污水处理厂当前PFAS污染情况的信息。除了PFAS目标分析外，总可氧化前体（TOP）测定法被用作PFAS总量参数，以获取样本中前体浓度的信息。根据使用欧洲共同体经济活动统计分类（NACE）代码排放到公共下水道系统的工业部门，对所调查的污水处理厂的排水流域进行了特征描述。除一个样本外，在所有废水排放样本中均检测到了已知的PFAS，浓度高达4700 ng/L。废水排放样本中的浓度在各个污水处理厂的不同采样日期之间以及不同污水处理厂之间差异很大。在所调查的污水处理厂中，65%的污水处理厂废水排放中的PFAS浓度在TOP测定后平均显著增加了2.9倍。在混合液样本中，PFAS浓度在56至440 μg/kg干重之间。浓度变化比废水排放样本中的小。TOP测定后，混合液样本中的PFAS浓度平均增加了4倍。仅NACE代码不能用于确定城市污水处理厂中预期的PFAS浓度是低还是高。然而，它们可以提供PFAS排放源的指示，并有助于确定进一步调查的优先级。如果没有TOP测定，废水排放和混合液样本中的PFAS浓度会被明显低估。我们的调查确定了污水处理厂废水中PFAS浓度非常高的热点区域。必须从源头采取措施，防止PFAS通过城市污水处理厂进一步释放到环境中。
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