ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION OF PFAS IN THROUGHFALL IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, BRONX, NY

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a widely used and persistent class of anthropogenic chemical compounds which are emitted to the atmosphere from numerous sources. Contamination of aquatic and terrestrial environments by PFAS is of great concern for human and ecosystem health; however, documentation of the magnitude and flux of atmospheric PFAS contamination remains sparse. In addition, while several studies have quantified PFAS concentrations and deposition in precipitation, the role of tree canopy in PFAS deposition is not well understood. In collaboration with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), the U.S Geological Survey collected throughfall samples from April through November 2023 at the Thain Family Forest in the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG), Bronx, NY to quantify atmospheric PFAS deposition under a tree canopy within an urban environment. PFAS sample collection and analysis was designed to parallel open-air precipitation samples at an adjacent NADP site (NY06) at the NYBG. Seven throughfall collectors were deployed at the study site and collected weekly. Both individual and pooled samples were analyzed for PFAS compounds, dissolved organic carbon, and major ions by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. From September through November 2023, litterfall was collected and analyzed for mercury and PFAS. Preliminary results show that total PFAS in throughfall is higher than in open-air precipitation. Results will advance our understanding of depositional trends and spatial variability of PFAS deposition fluxes in an urban environment.

Primary Presenter: Ashley Smith, U.S Geological Survey (amsmith@usgs.gov)

Authors:

Ashley Smith, U.S Geological Survey  (amsmith@usgs.gov)

Douglas Burns, U.S Geological Survey  (daburns@usgs.gov)

Irene Fisher, U.S. Geological Survey  (ifisher@usgs.gov)

Kaitlyn Cunningham, U.S. Geological Survey  (kcunningham@usgs.gov)

Martin Shafer, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison  (mmshafer@wisc.edu)

Emily Sellers, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison  (emily.sellers@slh.wisc.edu)

Jared Kunick, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison  (jared.kunick@slh.wisc.edu)