Watershed-based riverine discharge loads and emission factor of perfluorinated surfactants in Korean peninsula

Long-range transport of and exposure to perfluorinated substances (PFSs) strongly depend on their emission mode. In the present study, watershed-based riverine discharge loads and emission factors are estimated for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), perfluorohexylsulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctylsulfonate (PFOS) by using spatially distributed data of chemical concentrations together with water flows and a geographic information system (GIS). Average per capita emissions (emission factor, μg capita−1 d−1) are 75 for PFOA, 36 for PFNA, 17 for PFHxS, and 43 for PFOS, which are several times lower than the estimates for Japan and the European continent. A relatively uniform distribution is observed for PFHxS and PFOS emission factors, while elevated values of PFOA and PFNA predominate in one of eight river basins. This may indicate the leading contribution of diffusive sources (e.g. nonpoint source) for PFHxS and PFOS versus the presence of localized point sources for PFOA and PFNA. The lower–upper bound of total riverine loads discharged annually from the Korean peninsula are in the range of 0.53–1.3 tons for PFOA, 0.09–0.60 tons for PFNA, 0.07–0.29 tons for PFHxS, and 0.19–0.73 tons for PFOS, accounting for <1% of global annual emissions. Furthermore, these riverine discharge loads are significantly greater than the discharge loads from a wastewater treatment plant, indicating the necessity of further study of nonpoint sources.

► We estimated watershed-based riverine discharge loads and emission factors of PFSs.
► Korean peninsula has several-times lower emission factor than other countries.
► Influence of nonpoint and point source was found for PFASs and PFCAs, respectively.
► Total PFS emission from Korean peninsula accounts for <1% of global emission.