| dc.description.abstract | PFAS are persistent organic pollutants known for their potential adverse health effects. The presence of PFAS in water has become a global concern, necessitating accurate measurement methods. Water samples were collected from diverse sources, including spring well water, borehole water, NWSC tap water, packaged mineral water, and industrial effluent wastewater. Contamination of water resources is caused by industrial and manufacturing facilities that use PFAS in their processes and the wastes disposed of in landfills where PFAS leach into groundwater. Analytical techniques, such as solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, were employed to quantify the concentration of PFAS compounds in the samples. The results revealed the presence of PFAS in all tested water sources, with varying levels of concentration. The quantification of PFAS was carried out on seven water samples using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the concentration of different PFAS compounds in the water samples was measured. Using calibration plots, the concentration of different PFAS compounds in water samples was calculated.
The PFAS concentration in the water samples ranged between 75.2 and 120.255ng/L. The average concentrations (ng/L) of the individual PFAS ranged between <MDL and 20.6 for Namanve Industrial Park Effluent wastewater sample, <MDL and 25.266 for Nakivubo Drainage Chanel wastewater sample, <MDL and 20.013 for Lubigi Wastewater Plant sample, <MDL and 78.931 for the spring well water sample, <MDL and 26.064 for the borehole water sample, <MDL and 20.962 for the packaged mineral water sample, <MDL and 6.524 for the NWSC tap water sample.
Water samples from Namanve Industrial Park Effluent waste and Nakivubo Drainage Channel had the highest concentration of PFAS while water sample from NWSC tap water had the lowest concentration of PFAS.
The PFAS compound with the highest concentration was perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) and that with the lowest concentration was 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (8:2FTS).
These findings contribute to the understanding of different PFAS compounds occurrence in different water sources and highlight the importance of monitoring and managing PFAS contamination. By assessing the quantity of PFAS in these water sources, this study provides valuable information for regulatory bodies, water management agencies, and researchers working towards ensuring the safety and quality of water. | en_US |
