Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) composition and distribution in surface water of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Everglades and tributaries in the coastal environment of Miami, Florida
Article
Heath, CN, Castaneda, A, Ornstein, E et al. (2025). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) composition and distribution in surface water of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Everglades and tributaries in the coastal environment of Miami, Florida
. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, 278 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121627
Heath, CN, Castaneda, A, Ornstein, E et al. (2025). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) composition and distribution in surface water of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Everglades and tributaries in the coastal environment of Miami, Florida
. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, 278 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121627
PFAS have a well-documented history of adverse human health effects and have been detected in both urban environments and remote rural areas. In this study, PFAS concentrations were monitored in canals discharging into Biscayne Bay (Miami, FL) and compared to the surface water in canals and marshes within the Miccosukee Indian Reservation of Everglades National Park to assess PFAS contamination levels in urban and rural environments. Solid phase extraction was performed on 250 mL water samples using Strata-AW-XL cartridges, followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The sum of PFAS concentrations ranged between 30.1 and 153 ng/L along the Miami canals. PFAS have been detected for the first time in the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, with levels ranging from 3.94 to 40.1 ng/L. The most abundant compounds were perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) with a mean concentration of 15.2 ± 9.72 ng/L, perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPeA, mean = 10.2 ± 7.73 ng/L), perfluoro-n-butanoic acid (PFBA, mean = 10.7 ± 7.87 ng/L), and perfluoro-n-hexanoic acid (PFHxA, mean = 7.38 ± 5.16 ng/L). In the Everglades samples, 48 % of the total compounds identified were PFBA and 15 % was PFOS, while in the canals, 25 % was PFOS, 16 % PFPeA, and 14 % PFBA. The land uses of the area that could be contributing to PFAS concentrations are the production of textiles and stain resistant products, metal plating and finishing facilities, aqueous film forming foams, and various wastewater entering the watershed.
