Horizontal and Vertical Distribution of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in the Water Column of the Atlantic Ocean.

ABSTRACT: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are widely distributed in the oceans which are their largest global reservoir, but knowledge is limited about their vertical distribution and fate. This study measured the concentrations of PFAAs (perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with 6 to 11 carbons and perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids (PFSAs) with 6 and 8 carbons) in the surface and deep ocean. Seawater depth profiles from the surface to a 5000 m depth at 28 sampling stations were collected in the Atlantic Ocean from ∼50° N to ∼50° S. The results demonstrated PFAA input from the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel. Elevated PFAA concentrations were observed at the eastern edge of the Northern Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, suggesting that persistent contaminants may accumulate in ocean gyres. The median

SUBMITTER: Savvidou EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10173459 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature