Oral Presentation Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Australasia 2021

A determination of background concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface waters and sediments in the Greater Melbourne Area (#94)

Tanya Paige 1 , Dayanthi Nugegoda 1 , Vincent Pettigrove 1
  1. Aquatic Environmental Stress (AQUEST) Research Group, School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia

Little is known about the background concentrations of PFAS compounds in Australian cities and whether their presence and concentration in surface waters and sediments can be associated with different land-uses.  We investigated the concentrations of 33 PFAS compounds in surface water samples and sediments from 65 sites in the greater Melbourne area. Sites were categorised according to the dominant land use in their catchment area (residential, industrial, green, local wastewater treatment plants, and rural) determined from a topological analysis of the area. Samples were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) and analysed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Total PFAS and individual congener levels were compared across the different land uses. Results will be discussed based on occurrence patterns across the different land use types for total PFAS and individual PFAS compounds.