Trifluoroacetate (TFA) in precipitation and surface waters in Switzerland: trends, source attribution, and budget

Abstract. Sources and budgets of the persistent, anthropogenic compound trifluoroacetate (TFA) are poorly quantified across different environmental media. Recently, the introduction of hydrofluoroolefins and the continued use of other fluorinated compounds has increased environmental levels of TFA. Here, we present concentrations of TFA observed in precipitation and surface waters in Switzerland during three years of continuous monitoring and in archived water samples, collected since 1984. Mean observed TFA concentrations ranged from 0.30 to 0.96 µg L−1 across 14 precipitation sites and from 0.33 to 0.88 µg L−1 across 9 river sites in 2021–2023 – a four-to-six-fold increase since 1996/1997. Simulated atmospheric degradation of known TFA precursors accounted for 63 % (58 %–70 %) of the observed deposition (48 % (41 %–54 %) hydrofluoroolefins and 15 % (12 %–18 %) long-lived fluorinated gases; mean and range across sites) for sites on the Swiss Plateau. In Switzerland, atmospheric (wet+dry) deposition of TFA amounted to 24.5 ± 9.6 Mg yr−1, whereas TFA terrestrial inputs from the degradation of plant protection products (PPP) in soils, estimated from the literature, ranged from 2.9 to 11.8 Mg yr−1, depending on the assumption on degradation efficiency. TFA inputs from the degradation of PPP dominated 2–3 times over atmospheric deposition in Swiss croplands. These inputs were balanced by exports through the major rivers, 31 ± 4 Mg yr−1. Archived precipitation samples from the period 1986 to 2020 revealed that TFA was formed in the atmosphere before the introduction of known atmospheric precursors, whereas in the 1990s TFA deposition increased along with their concentrations. However, simulated atmospheric degradation underestimates summertime TFA deposition five-fold. Continued use of fluorinated compounds is likely to enhance TFA deposition in the future. Additional environmental monitoring and source attribution studies are paramount for refining the assessment of TFA sources and levels for potential health and environmental risks.