Occurrence of Ultrashort-Chain PFASs in Australian Environmental Water Samples

Ultrashort-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFASs) are
an emerging class of contaminants that remain underexplored in environmental
research. This study examines their distribution in Australian drinking
tap water, environmental waters, and wastewaters (n = 63) using nontarget
analysis via high-resolution mass spectrometry. Thirteen ultrashort-chain
PFASs were identified, including novel compounds such as perfluoroalkane
sulfinate (PFPSi), hydrogen-substituted perfluoroalkyl carboxylate
(H-PFCA), chloro-perfluoroalkanesulfonate (Cl-PFSA), and bis-perfluoroalkyl
sulfonamide (bis-FASIs). Perfluoropropanesulfonic acid (PFPrS) was
the most prevalent, detected in 83% of surface, groundwater, and wastewater
samples, and in 67% of tap water samples from major Australian cities.
Concentrations of PFPrS and perfluoroethanesulfonic acid (PFEtS) ranged
from <0.02 to 8000 ng/L. Ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkane sulfonamides
(FASAs) and perfluoroalkane sulfates (PFA-OS) were predominantly found
in wastewater. These findings highlight the widespread presence of
ultrashort-chain PFASs in Australian water systems and underscore
the need for ongoing monitoring and research due to their potential
ecological and human health impacts. This study provides essential
baseline data that could inform future regulatory measures and environmental
management strategies.