Co-occurrence behaviors of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and heavy metals in the groundwater of dyeing industrial sites in southern China
By Jing Wu, Yue Cai, Changlin Xu, Guoyi Yang, Hao Zhang, Xiang-Zhou Meng, Jinming Lei, and Shengwei Zhang
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
August 27, 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118925
This study investigates the co-occurrence, seasonal variations and environmental control factors of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and potential toxic heavy metals in groundwater at dyeing industrial sites in Foshan, southern China. Unlike earlier studies that focused on PFASs or heavy metals in the abandoned sites, this study represents the first comprehensive assessment of eight long-operating (>15 years) sites. The results revealed substantial contamination of PFASs and heavy metals, the total PFAS (ΣPFASs) concentrations ranged from 67.6-2213 (mean 762) ng L⁻¹ , and Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) (a short-chain PFAS, C=4) dominated groundwater contamination with 100 % detection frequency, averaging 429 ng L⁻¹ (max: 1862 ng L⁻¹), followed by long-chain PFASs like Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA (C=8) and Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) (C=7) reached up to 949 ng L⁻¹ and 356 ng L⁻¹ , respectively. PFAS congeners exhibited significant heterogeneity within the sites, as evidenced by a coefficient of variation (CV) generally exceeding 1, indicating a substantial influence from pollution sources within the factories. Potential toxic heavy metals exhibited seasonal variations, with concentrations following the order flood period > dry period > middle period. Among them, arsenic (As, maximum 49.0 μg L⁻¹) and antimony (Sb, maximum 95.6 μg L⁻¹) exceeded China's Class III groundwater quality standards at multiple sites. Hydrological processes drove PFAS mobility, with concentrations fluctuating sharply across different hydrological periods. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation analysis identified key water physicochemical parameters governing the behaviors of PFASs and heavy metals, along with mutual interactions between heavy metals and PFASs. This study underscores the co-contamination patterns of PFASs and potential toxic heavy metals in dyeing industrial clusters, emphasizing the necessity of integrated management strategies targeting both organic and inorganic pollutants in groundwater systems.
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