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Long-term trend data for PFAS in soils from German ecosystems, including TOP assay.

Jörg Wellmitz1, Nicole Bandow1, Jan Koschorreck1

  • 1German Environment Agency, Colditzstr. 34, D-12099 Berlin, Germany.

The Science of the Total Environment
|June 4, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in German soils remained stable from 2002-2018, with no significant impact from regulations. Total organic carbon content strongly correlates with PFAS concentrations, highlighting its importance for reporting.

Keywords:
BackgroundChemical managementGerman ESBPFOAPFOSTOC

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Soil Science
  • Environmental Monitoring

Background:

  • Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants with widespread environmental presence.
  • Understanding PFAS distribution and trends in different ecosystems is crucial for environmental risk assessment.
  • The German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) provides a valuable long-term dataset for tracking environmental contaminants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze PFAS concentrations in German soil samples from 2002 to 2018 across various ecosystem types.
  • To assess the contribution of PFAS precursors to the total PFAS load using the Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) assay.
  • To investigate the relationship between soil properties, specifically total organic carbon (TOC), and PFAS levels.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of PFOS and PFOA regulations on soil contamination levels over time.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 24 PFAS, including perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs), and precursors, in soil samples.
  • Application of the Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) assay to quantify transformable PFAS.
  • Statistical analysis to compare PFAS levels across different ecosystem types (near-natural, forestry, urban-industrial, agricultural).
  • Correlation analysis between PFAS concentrations and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content.
  • Trend analysis of PFAS concentrations over the sampling period (2002-2018).

Main Results:

  • Median ΣPFAS levels ranged from 0.31 to 19.7 μg/kg dry weight (dw), with slight increases after the TOP assay (up to >20%), indicating minor precursor contribution.
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were the most frequent PFAS, present in nearly all samples.
  • Near-natural and forestry ecosystems showed significantly higher PFAS levels compared to urban-industrial sites.
  • A strong positive correlation was observed between TOC content and PFAS concentrations.
  • PFAS concentration levels remained largely stable over the 2002-2018 period, suggesting limited impact of current regulations.

Conclusions:

  • PFAS concentrations in German soils have been relatively stable over the past two decades.
  • Total organic carbon is a key factor influencing PFAS accumulation in soils and should be reported alongside contaminant data.
  • Existing regulations for PFOS and PFOA have not yet demonstrably reduced exposure levels in the soil compartment.
  • Further research may be needed to understand long-term PFAS trends and the efficacy of future regulatory actions.