Occurrence and transport behaviors of perfluoroalkyl acids in drinking water distribution systems

Highlights: • PFAAs in tap water of eastern China were at a relatively higher level. • The transport behaviors of PFAA in DWDS were studied. • Long-chain PFAA is more easily accumulated in the loose deposits in the DWDS. • DOC probably increased the potential of short-chain PFAA to retain in bulk water. • PFAA accumulated in loose deposits can result in potential health risks at taps. -- Abstract: Although human exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) through tap water is an ongoing concern, knowledge of the PFAAs occurrence in the tap water and the associated transport behaviors of PFAAs in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) are scarce. This investigation profiled the occurrence of 17 kinds of PFAAs in tap water of some Chinese cities, and the transport behaviors of PFAAs in DWDS were observed in eastern China. Tap water samples both along trunk pipelines and at the distal ends were collected to display the PFAAs occurrence scenarios. Loose deposit solids were also obtained to reveal their possible accumulation effect on PFAAs. The results showed that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) widely existed in tap water samples, and were the predominant PFAAs in eastern China areas. The mean concentration of the 17 PFAAs was 77.49 ng/L (ranging from 9.29 ng/L to 266.68 ng/L). Short-chain PFAAs (mainly PFBA) concentrations were relatively stable from water treatment plant to consumer taps, while long-chain PFAAs (mainly PFOA) exhibited a significant decrease in concentration, which could be attributed to their accumulation by the loose deposits in the DWDSs. It was calculated that PFOA has a higher partition coefficient than PFBA; this means that the former has a stronger potential to be adsorbed by loose deposits. In addition, the accumulation ability of loose deposits might be associated with the composition of Al, Fe and Si in the loose deposits. The positive correlation between the short-chain PFAAs and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) indicated the possible interactions between PFAA and natural organic matter could favor short-chain PFAAs to retain in bulk water. When water quality conditions change or hydraulic disturbance occur, loose deposits may enter tap water bringing accumulated PFAAs with it, which may result in potential health risks.