The aim of the project is to determine the atmospheric deposition of individual target PFAS compounds (target PFAS) and the total extractable organofluorine compounds (EOF) in wet deposition and PM10 particulate matter samples from the UBA air measurement network. In particular, seasonal variations and geographical distribution in the occurrence of PFAS and EOF will be investigated, including PFCAs and telomeres.
Furthermore, the study will also consider meteorological influencing factors (wind direction, wind speed, precipitation) and potential regional sources.
The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) operates an air monitoring network to investigate air pollution transported over a long area in low-polluted areas of the Federal Republic of Germany. The tasks of this air monitoring network also include the determination of persistent organic pollutants in outdoor air and precipitation.
One group of persistent organic pollutants that is of increasing concern is per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS). These compounds are chemically particularly inert and long-lived in the environment. As a result, they accumulate in environmental media and food chains and ultimately in the human body and can be detected for an extremely long time. They can lead to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems, and cancer.
Since 2009, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS) have been included in the Stockholm International Convention to prohibit their use. PFOS has been banned in the EU for more than 10 years under the EU Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The Stockholm Convention also regulates the worldwide elimination of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds. PFOA has been banned under the POPs Regulation since 4 July 2020. In June 2022, the Parties to the Stockholm Convention decided to include PFHxS, its salts and related compounds in the treaty. This global ban is expected to come into effect at the end of 2023. In addition, long-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (C9-21 PFCAs) are being considered for inclusion in the Stockholm Convention and subsequent global elimination.
Atmospheric transport and deposition are important pathways of entry of PFAS in the environment (adjacent to water bodies), especially in remote areas remote from human activities and industries. Due to their long half-life, volatile neutral PFAS such as fluorotelomer alcohols, after being released into the atmosphere through industrial activities, can travel long distances and reach remote areas such as the Arctic. In the atmosphere, volatile PFAS can transform into perfluorocalboxyl and sulfonic acids (PFCAs and PFSAs) under low NOx conditions. PFCAs and PFSAs are relatively strong acids, so they are found in the environment in their ionic (dissociated) form. Their low pkS value, coupled with the better water solubility of short-chain (C<8) PFAS, makes them available for moist deposition in the atmosphere, such as snow and rain, effectively removing them from the atmosphere. Worldwide, only a few studies have investigated the atmospheric deposition of PFAS.
With regard to atmospheric transport and the study of PFAS occurrence in the Arctic, air currents from Asia and Northern and Eastern Europe are important. In the northern European countries, there are some studies on the atmospheric deposition of PFAS, which have so far been little carried out for other parts of Europe. A report by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (PureAlps 2016 - 2020) states that the sum of PFAS increases with height. This increasing trend and the lack of available literature highlight the need for further studies on wet deposition at different altitudes and remote study sites to gain a better understanding of the distribution and deposition of PFAS.
The services include:
- Work package 1 - Literature review and selection of analytes
- Work package 2 - Characterization and optimization of sampling parameters with regard to analytical detection capability
- Work package 3 - Analysis of PFAS compounds in samples of the UBA air monitoring network
- Work Package 4 - Data Evaluation and Comparative Statistical Analysis
Contract period: approx. 10/2023 to 11/2026
For details, please refer to the service description.