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Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Bay of Marseille (NW Mediterranean Sea) and the Rhône River
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Researchers measured perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — persistent synthetic chemicals — across 62 surface water sites in the Rhône River and Marseille Bay, finding that PFOS exceeded European safety limits in over 80% of samples and that river discharge can carry PFOS contamination into the bay at concentrations above regulatory thresholds.
Four perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were analyzed in 62 duplicate surface water samples from the Rhône River and Marseille Bay (France; NW Mediterranean Sea). Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected in all samples and exceeded the European Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values in over 80% of the cases. The most contaminated samples were from the Rhône River (up to 200 ng L ∑ PFAS), as well as those collected near a wastewater treatment plant outlet in Marseille Bay (up to 9 ng L ∑ PFAS). While PFOS was the predominant PFAS in Marseille Bay, remarkably high concentrations of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were measured in the Rhône River (8-193 ng L). The relative abundances of individual compounds differed thus significantly between the Rhône River and Marseille Bay, indicating different sources. A simulation made with the MARS3D model showed that PFOS inputs from the Rhône River can enter Marseille Bay at levels > EQS.
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Researchers characterized floating microplastics in the Bay of Marseille across three seasons from 2016 to 2018, sampling six sites near river mouths, treatment plants, and a marine protected area, and assessed microplastic ingestion by zooplankton and caged mussels. A hydrodynamic model was used to analyze how oceanographic conditions drive microplastic dispersal across this heavily urbanized Mediterranean bay.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.