Perfluorinated compounds in human blood around Bohai Sea, China

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) including perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been used in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications since 1960s. The previous studies have reported the occurrences of PFOS and PFOA in human blood and serum from various countries. In this study, 141 human whole blood samples collected from four cities around Bohai Sea in China including Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Weihai, and Zouping were analyzed for PFCs. The highest median concentration of total PFCs was found in whole blood samples from Tangshan (14.01 ng mL−1). The median concentration of total PFCs in samples from Zouping (7.28 ng mL−1) was the lowest, but the median concentration of PFOA (3.26 ng mL−1) was the highest among four cities and the percentage proportion of PFOA (45%) was higher than that of PFOS (30%). Based on the different profiles of PFCs between coastal cities, it was suggested that there might be different human exposure sources and pathways of PFCs around Bohai Sea.

► The first survey of PFCs in human whole blood around Bohai Sea in China.
► The geographical differences of PFCs exposure exists among selected locations around Bohai Sea in China.
► The levels of PFCs in human whole blood samples from Bohai Sea Region are relatively low.