New study on occurrence and concentrations of PFASs in Uganda

In a very recent study published in Science of the Total Environment, Sahar Dalahmeh, a researcher at the Environmental Engineering Unit and her co-workers investigated  concentrations and partitioning of 26 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in wastewater, surface water, soil and crop plants (yam, maize and sugarcane) in Nakivubo wetland and Lake Victoria at Kampala, Uganda.Location of the study area at Kampala, Uganda, and the sampling sites

The study revealed that effluent from Bugolobi wastewater treatment plant contained higher poor removal of PFASs within the WWTP but ∑PFAS concentrations decreased by a factor of approximately five between Nakivubo channel (8.5–12 ng L⁻¹) and Lake Victoria (1.0–2.5 ng L⁻¹), due to dilution, sorption to sediment and uptake by plants in the wetland. ∑PFAS concentrations were within the range 1700–7900 pg g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) in soils and 160 pg g⁻¹ dw (maize cobs) to 380 pg g⁻¹ dw (sugarcane stems) in plants. Dominant PFASs were perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) in wastewater, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in surface water, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in soil and perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA) and PFOA in different plant tissues. Overall, this investigation demonstrated PFASs entry into the terrestrial food chain and drinking water resources in Kampala, Uganda.

Interested in reading more? Follow the below link to access the full publication:

Dalahmeh, S., Tirgani, S., Komakech, A.J., Niwagaba, C.B., Ahrens, L. 2018. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water, soil and plants in wetlands and agricultural areas in Kampala, Uganda. Science of The Total Environment, 631–632, 660-667.

Post published by Prithvi Simha