Perfluorinated Compounds in Tap Water from China and Several Other Countries

The recent development of a sensitive and accurate analytical method for the analysis of 20 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), including several short-chain PFCs, has enabled their quantification in tap water collected in China, Japan, India, the United States, and Canada between 2006 and 2008. Of the PFCs measured, PFOS, PFHxS, PFBS, PFPrS, PFEtS, PFOSA, N-EtFOSAA, PFDoDA, PFUnDA, PFDA, PFNA, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFPeA, PFBA, and PFPrA were found at detectable concentrations in the tap water samples. The water samples from Shanghai (China) contained the greatest concentrations of total PFCs (arithmetic mean = 130 ng/L), whereas those from Toyama (Japan) contained only 0.62 ng/L. In addition to PFOS and PFOA, short-chain PFCs such as PFHxS, PFBS, PFHxA, and PFBA were found to be prevalent in drinking water. According to the health-based values (HBVs) and advisory guidelines derived for PFOS, PFOA, PFBA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHxA, and PFPeA by the U.S.EPA and the Minnesota Department of Health, tap water may not pose an immediate health risk to consumers.