Occurrence and distribution of organic trace substances in waters from the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

This study deals with the evaluation of water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in order to assess its suitability as a raw water source for drinking water production. Therefore, water samples from (1) surface water, (2) tap water, and (3) wastewater treatment plant effluents were taken randomly by 2011-2012 in the area of the TGR and were analyzed for seven different organic contaminant groups (207 substances in total), applying nine different analytical methods. In the three sampled water sources, typical contaminant patterns were found, i.

Degradation studies of new substitutes for perfluorinated surfactants.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are manmade, stable perfluorosurfactants. The properties of perfluoroalkylated compounds that cause them to persist in the environment are also the properties that made them attractive compounds for industrial usage for over 50 years. Due to the unique properties of the carbon-fluorine bond and the polarity of perfluoroalkyl groups, potential substitutes to replace perfluorinated surfactants in most cases continue to be perfluoroalkyl based.

Long chain perfluorinated alkyl acids derivatisation and identification in biota and abiota matrices using gas chromatography.

An analytical method involving derivatisation of perfluorocarboxylic acids for their analysis in abiotic and biotic matrices is presented. Derivatisation of the acid group to form a suitable alkyl ester provided a suitable compound for mass spectrometric detection in gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) instrumental analysis. The acid is esterified by an alkyl halide i.

Determination of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in Lake Victoria Gulf water.

In this study we present a report of investigation from the screening of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in Lake Victoria Gulf and in its source rivers. The first determined levels of perfluorinated alkylated substances in Lake Victoria ecosystem are presented. Variability in the concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid or perfluorooctane sulfonate in river waters (range perfluorooctanoic acid 400-96,400 and perfluorooctane sulfonate <400-13,230 pg/L) was higher than for Lake waters (range perfluorooctanoic acid 400-11,650 and perfluorooctane sulfonate <400-2,530 pg/L respectively) suggesting generalized point sources such as domestic and industrial waste.