Temporal variations of perfluoroalkyl substances partitioning between surface water, suspended sediment, and biota in a macrotidal estuary.

A one-year monitoring study was conducted in a macrotidal estuary to assess the temporal variations and partitioning behavior of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and invertebrates including zooplankton (copepods, mysids) and shrimps were sampled on a monthly basis in the Gironde Estuary (SW France). Environmental parameters such as suspended solid loads, salinity, and river water flow rate were highly variable at the study site. However, moderate seasonal variations were observed in terms of PFAS levels and profiles. Summed PFAS (Σ ₂₂ PFASs) concentrations averaged 6.5 ± 2.7 ng L ^-1 in the dissolved phase and 3.0 ± 1.2 ng g ^-1 dry weight in the SPM. The Σ ₂₂ PFASs was in the range of 1.7-13 ng g ^-1 wet weight in invertebrates. C ₅ -C ₈ perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) generally prevailed in the dissolved phase, while perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was dominant in the SPM and biota. Suspended sediment-water partitioning coefficients Log K _D and Log K _OC were correlated with the perfluoroalkyl chain length, as were the particle-bound fraction and bioaccumulation factors (Log BAF). Compound-specific Log BAFs varied within a limited range over the period surveyed. Biomagnification factors (mysids/copepods) were consistently >1 for PFOS, perfluorooctane sulfonamide, and long-chain PFCAs (perfluorodecanoate and perfluorododecanoate), suggesting biomagnification at the base of the estuarine food web.
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