Analysis Reveals PFAS in French Rainwaters

Due to their pervasive nature, high persistence, and impacts on global health and the environment, per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a rising concern. Understanding their presence and contamination pathways is essential, but despite various studies investigating PFAS presence along the water cycle, rainwaters have been less considered.

A new study in Journal of Environmental Quality is the first to focus on PFAS in French rainwaters. Researchers from Eurofins Hydrologie Est in Maxéville, France developed methods to analyze a wide range of PFAS in waters based on liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry at nanograms per liter (ng/L) levels. They used these methods to analyze PFAS from autumnal rainwater samples collected from urban, rural, and coastal areas in France. They observed PFAS with concentrations ≥1 ng/L in 29% of the samples. Because some PFAS measured were below the limits of quantification, the study also revealed the necessity to improve methods by decreasing these lower limits.

The findings confirm that PFAS can be found even in less considered environmental compartments. Understanding how contamination happens and related impacts is key while regulations and innovations are also required to reduce PFAS use and release.