Legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Dagang Oilfield: Multimedia distribution and contributions of unknown precursors

Highlights: • Known and unknown PFAA-precursors were associated with petroleum hydrocarbons. • C2–C3 PFCAs and their unknown precursors were dominant at oilfield. • 6:2 FTAB and PFECHS are first time reported in oilfield environment. • 6:2 FTAB and OBS showed higher sediment-water partition potential than PFOS. • Precursors for PFSAs were dominant in the unknown PFAS profiles at oilfield. A systematic survey was conducted on twenty-six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in fifty-one paired samples of surface water, sediment, and soil from Dagang Oilfield, Tianjin, China. Perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzenesulfonate (OBS), and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl betaine (6:2 FTAB) were ubiquitous in the oilfield with field log K_d of 1.3–2.2, indicating a high partition potential from surface water to sediment. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) are a predictor for PFAS contamination at oilfield. The concentrations of OBS and 6:2 FTAB were higher in surface water and sediment with elevated TPH level. With total oxidizable precursor assay, unknown precursors for C2–C3 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) (57–99 mol%) contributed more than those for C4–C12 PFCAs in the three mediums. The unknown C4-, C6-, and C8-based precursors tended to be precursors for perfluoroalkyl sulfonates at the oilfield, and C8 fluorotelomer-based precursors particularly occurred in the surface water. The concentrations of C4- and C8-based precursors were found positively correlated with TPH levels (r = 0.67–0.72, p < 0.05), while C6 precursors may also come from other sources. Further studies are necessary to clarify the mass balance and risk assessment for unknown PFASs.