Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and wastewater: A critical review of their global occurrence and distribution

The Science of the total environment · 8 authors, 6 centres

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TL;DR

This narrative review synthesizes research from the last decade on the global occurrence and distribution of PFAS in the aquatic environment, focusing on PFOA and PFOS. The central finding is that PFAS are widespread across all continents irrespective of industrial development, with long-range atmospheric transport identified as a key distribution pathway.

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This narrative review critically evaluates the global occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water and wastewater over the past decade, prioritizing PFOA and PFOS due to their extensive detection history and ongoing regulatory relevance. The authors searched academic and government sources for studies published since 2000, focusing on large-scale studies analyzing multiple samples across multiple countries. PFAS concentrations in surface and groundwater ranged from ng L⁻¹ to μg L⁻¹ globally. The review reports that PFAS are detected across all continents regardless of industrial development level, and their presence in remote locations such as the Tibetan mountains and major oceans confirms long-range atmospheric transport as a distribution pathway. Regulatory responses vary internationally, with several countries establishing drinking water guidelines and the US EPA moving toward regulation of PFOA and PFOS. A key limitation is that the review focuses predominantly on PFOA and PFOS, and future research on PFAS precursors and novel PFAS is needed.

STUDY TYPE

narrative_review

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10184764

Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and wastewater: A critical review of their global occurrence and distribution

The Science of the total environment

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ABSTRACT

Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of fluorinated organic compounds of anthropogenic origin. Due to their unique chemical properties, widespread production, environmental distribution, long-term persistence, bioaccumulative potential, and associated risks for human health, PFAS have been classified as persistent organic pollutants of significant concern. Scientific evidence from the last several decades suggests that their widespread occurrence in the environment correlates with adverse effects on human health and ecology. The presence of PFAS in the aquatic environment demonstrates a close link between the anthroposphere and the hydrological cycle, and concentrations of PFAS in surface and groundwater range in value along the ng L −1 –μg L −1 scale. Here, we critically reviewed the research published in the last decade on the global occurrence and distribution of PFAS in the aquatic environment. Ours is the first paper to critically evaluate the occurrence of PFAS at the continental scale and the evolving global regulatory responses to manage and mitigate the adverse human health risks posed by PFAS. The review reports that PFAS are widespread despite being phased out—they have been detected in different continents irrespective of the level of industrial development. Their occurrence far from the potential sources suggests that long-range atmospheric transport is an important pathway of PFAS distribution. Recently, several studies have investigated the health impacts of PFAS exposure—they have been detected in biota, drinking water, food, air, and human serum. In response to the emerging information about PFAS toxicity, several countries have provided administrative guidelines for PFAS in water, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Australia. In the US, additional regulatory measures are under consideration. Further, many PFAS have now been listed as persistent organic pollutants. This comprehensive review provides crucial baseline information on the global occurrence, distribution, and regulatory framework of PFAS.

CITATION EXPORT

Sudarshan Kurwadkar, Jason Dane, Sushil R. Kanel et al.. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and wastewater: A critical review of their global occurrence and distribution. The Science of the total environment. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151003

AUTHORS

8 · 6 CENTRES

Sudarshan Kurwadkar, Jason Dane, Sushil R. Kanel, Mallikarjuna N. Nadagouda, Ryan W. Cawdrey, Balram Ambade, Garrett C. Struckhoff, Richard Wilkin

aDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
bCenter for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 919 Kerr Research Drive, Ada, OK 74820, USA
cDepartment of Chemistry, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glen Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
dPegasus Technical Services, Inc., 46 E. Hollister Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
eCenter for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
fDepartment of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur 831014, Jharkhand, India