Highly elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate and other perfluorinated acids found in biota and surface water downstream of an international airport, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

de Solla, SR; De Silva, AO; Letcher, RJ

HERO ID

1274393

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2012

Language

English

PMID

22208739

HERO ID 1274393
In Press No
Year 2012
Title Highly elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate and other perfluorinated acids found in biota and surface water downstream of an international airport, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Authors de Solla, SR; De Silva, AO; Letcher, RJ
Journal Environment International
Volume 39
Issue 1
Page Numbers 19-26
Abstract Per- and poly-fluorinated compounds (PFCs), which include perfluorinated carboxylates (PFCAs) and sulfonates (PFSAs) and various precursors, are used in a wide variety of industrial, commercial and domestic products. This includes aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which is used by military and commercial airports as fire suppressants. In a preliminary assessment prior to this study, very high concentrations (>1 ppm wet weight) of the PFSA, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), were discovered in the plasma of snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) collected in 2008 from Lake Niapenco in southern Ontario, Canada. We presently report on a suite of C(6) to C(15) PFCAs, C(4), C(6), C(8) and C(10) PFSAs, several PFC precursors (e.g. perfluorooctane sulfonamide, PFOSA), and a cyclic perfluorinated acid used in aircraft hydraulic fluid, perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate (PFECHS) in surface water from the Welland River and Lake Niapenco, downstream of the John C. Munro International Airport, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Amphipods, shrimp, and water were sampled from the Welland River and Lake Niapenco, as well as local references. The same suite of PFCs in turtle plasma from Lake Niapenco was compared to those from other southern Ontario sites. PFOS dominated the sum PFCs in all substrates (e.g., >99% in plasma of turtles downstream the Hamilton Airport, and 72.1 to 94.1% at all other sites). PFOS averaged 2223(±247.1SE) ng/g in turtle plasma from Lake Niapenco, and ranged from 9.0 to 171.4 elsewhere. Mean PFOS in amphipods and in water were 518.1(±83.8)ng/g and 130.3(±43.6) ng/L downstream of the airport, and 19.1(±2.7) ng/g and 6.8(±0.5) ng/L at reference sites, respectively. Concentrations of selected PFCs declined with distance downstream from the airport. Although there was no known spill event or publicly reported use of AFFF associated with a fire event at the Hamilton airport, the airport is a likely major source of PFC contamination in the Welland River.
Doi 10.1016/j.envint.2011.09.011
Pmid 22208739
Wosid WOS:000300129100004
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword Alkanesulfonates; Alkanesulfonic Acids; Carboxylic Acids; Cyclohexanes; Fluorocarbons; Water Pollutants, Chemical; perfluoroethylcyclohexane; 335-21-7; perfluorooctane; 6P60ZBK0QL; perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; 9H2MAI21CL; Index Medicus; Carboxylic Acids -- metabolism; Environmental Monitoring; Rivers -- chemistry; Carboxylic Acids -- analysis; Airports; Alkanesulfonates -- metabolism; Animals; Alkanesulfonates -- analysis; Lakes -- chemistry; Amphipoda -- metabolism; Ontario; Alkanesulfonic Acids -- metabolism; Alkanesulfonic Acids -- analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical -- analysis; Fluorocarbons -- metabolism; Fresh Water -- chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical -- metabolism; Fluorocarbons -- analysis
Is Qa No