Final report 'Research into PFAS in ambient air in Flanders'

02.10.2024 | Fundamental right

Final report 'Research into PFAS in ambient air in Flanders'

How polluted is the Flemish ambient air by PFAS? VITO conducted an exploratory study by measuring PFAS in falling dust, suspended dust and gas phase at various location types in Flanders: from urban background to landfills.

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The research shows that, despite the significant differences in composition between the location types and sometimes also between the measurement locations within the same location type:

• the background concentrations and deposition fluxes are significantly higher on the coast than in the rural and urban background areas, Dessel and Borgerhout respectively, due to the influence of aerosols from PFAS-contaminated sea foam. Finally, the PFOS concentrations in ambient air at the Flemish coastal locations are in the same order of magnitude as a coastal location in China and higher than at two other coastal locations in Europe.

• PFOS, PFOA, PFBA and PFPrA (ultra-short chain PFAS) are measured throughout Flanders in, usually, large proportions in both falling and floating dust

• the region around 3M, Zwijndrecht the most heavily polluted region in Flanders is

• PFAS was detected everywhere in the deposition. The most frequently occurring PFAS are: PFOS, PFOA and PFBA.