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Related Concept Videos

Surface Active Agents01:27

Surface Active Agents

Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
Micelles01:30

Micelles

Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Halogens03:01

Halogens

Group 17 elements, known as halogens, are nonmetals. At room temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine a solid. Astatine is a highly unstable radioactive element, so currently, most of its properties are unknown due to its short half-life. Tennessine is a synthetic element also predicted to be in this group.
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow
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Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

Published on: April 18, 2019

Perfluorinated surfactants in surface and drinking waters.

Dirk Skutlarek1, Martin Exner, Harald Färber

  • 1University of Bonn, Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Water Chemistry, Germany.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
|October 28, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Perfluorinated surfactants (PS) were found in Rhine-Ruhr surface and drinking waters, with high concentrations in the upper Ruhr and Moehne rivers. Current water treatment methods do not effectively remove these persistent pollutants.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Water Quality Analysis

Background:

  • Perfluorinated surfactants (PS) like PFOS and PFOA are globally distributed and persistent environmental contaminants.
  • These compounds exhibit potential for reproductive interference, carcinogenicity, and bioaccumulation, with long half-lives in humans.
  • Previous studies indicate the ubiquitous presence of PS in wildlife and human samples.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and distribution of 12 perfluorinated surfactants (PS) in surface and drinking waters in the Rhine-Ruhr area.
  • To analyze the concentrations and patterns of PS in various water bodies, including rivers and drinking water supplies.
  • To assess the effectiveness of current water treatment processes in removing PS.

Main Methods:

  • Collection of surface water samples from the Rhine, Ruhr, Moehne rivers, canals, and drinking water samples from public buildings.
  • Sample clean-up and concentration using solid-phase extraction.
  • Determination of perfluorinated surfactants using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

  • PS concentrations in the Rhine river and its main tributaries were below 100 ng/L.
  • The Ruhr river showed high concentrations (up to 94 ng/L), with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as the major component.
  • Remarkably high PS concentrations were found in the upper reaches of the Ruhr (up to 446 ng/L) and Moehne rivers (up to 4385 ng/L).
  • Drinking water samples in the Rhine-Ruhr area contained PS, with a maximum of 598 ng/L (PFOA: 519 ng/L).

Conclusions:

  • Surface water contamination likely originates from contaminated waste materials applied to agricultural areas, leading to runoff into the Moehne and Ruhr rivers.
  • PS concentrations in drinking water correlated with raw water concentrations, indicating ineffective removal by current water treatment steps.
  • Urgent need for regulations on PS production and use, protection of water resources, and discussion of limit values in drinking water and food.