article · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are persistent pollutants that bioaccumulate and pose health risks to living organisms. An assessment along the Nairobi River basin in Kenya measured the presence and distribution of these chemicals across water, sediment, and plant samples. Using extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques, thirty distinct PFAS compounds were identified in water, while twenty-eight were detected in sediments and plants. Water samples showed perfluoroundecanoic acid concentrations reaching 39.2 nanograms per litre. In midstream and downstream sections, sediment and plant tissues exhibited perfluorooctanoic acid concentrations up to 39.62 and 29.33 nanograms per gram, respectively. Levels of long-chain compounds were notably higher in water and sediments compared to plants. Perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations in water reached 1.83 nanograms per litre, exceeding acceptable limits for surface water and creating ecological and human health hazards linked to nearby industrial activities.
PFAS compounds are hazardous chemicals that persist in the environment and accumulate in living tissues, threatening ecological stability and public health. Detecting levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate above safe thresholds in the Nairobi River reveals a direct environmental risk for communities and ecosystems relying on this water system, highlighting an urgent need for industrial effluent management.
The abstract does not indicate a direct commercialisation pathway, as the research focuses on environmental monitoring. However, the findings offer baseline data that could inform local regulatory agencies, municipal authorities, and environmental management bodies. Any market-driven outcomes, such as industrial wastewater treatment solutions or PFAS remediation technologies targeting the Nairobi River, remain at an early concept stage based on these findings.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ever-present pollutants in the environment. They are persistent and bio-accumulative with deleterious health effects on biota. This study assesses the levels of PFAS in environmental matrices along the Nairobi River, Kenya. An aggregate of 30 PFAS were determined in water, while 28 PFAS were detected in sediments and plants using solid phase extraction then liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric techniques. In water, higher levels of perfluoroundecanoic acids of up to 39.2 ng L−1 were observed. Sediment and plant samples obtained in the midstream and downstream contained higher levels of perfluorooctanoic acid of up to 39.62 and 29.33 ng g−1, respectively. Comparably, levels of long-chain PFAS were higher in water and sediments than in plants. Sediment/water log distribution of selected PFAS ranged between 2.5 (perfluoroundecanoic acid) and 4.9 (perfluorooctane sulfonate). The level of perfluorooctane sulfonate (1.83 ng L−1) in water is above the acceptable level in surface water posing high human health and ecological risks. The observed PFAS concentrations and distribution were attributed mainly to multi-industries located along the river, among other sources. The knowledge of PFAS occurrence and distribution in Nairobi River, Kenya, provides important information to local regulatory agencies for PFAS pollution control.
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DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19158980
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