Study of contamination with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the Arctic region

B.Sc. Aswathi Gopinath

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This study investigated PFAS contamination at two contrasting sites near Longyearbyen, close to Svalbard Airport (an AFFF-impacted coastal plain with an active remediation programme), and the municipal wastewater outfall in Adventfjorden. To study time-weighted average dissolved PFAS concentrations, diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT; LSNW-AP) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS; PFAS-specific and HLB configurations) were deployed for 30-35 days at both. Moreover, sediment samples from the airport site were also analyzed. Prior to field application, laboratory testing revealed acceptable DGT recoveries for PFBA (82%) and PFOA (94%) in freshwater, while PFOS showed reduced recovery in seawater (19%), indicating compound- and matrix-specific limitations, especially in closed batch systems. In the field, eleven types of PFAS were detected at the airport site by DGT, with a summed mean concentration of 63.08 ± 15.81 ng/L, dominated by PFHxS (16.22 ng/L), PFHxA (15.22 ng/L), and PFPeA (13.23 ng/L). POCIS-PFAS yielded a comparable total of 53.94 ± 3.39 ng/L with a similar compound profile, while POCIS-HLB returned higher summed concentrations (125.17 ± 16.04 ng/L) dominated by PFHxS, PFHpA, PFPeA, and PFOA, though with a less representative profile for short-chain PFAS. No PFAS were detected at the wastewater site by any sampler. Sediment analysis identified PFOS as the dominant compound (mean 0.45 ± 0.13 ng/g dw), followed by PFNA and PFHxS, consistent with an AFFF contamination signature. The results confirm that PFAS contamination at Svalbard Airport is driven by AFFF-related local sources, with a mixed dissolved profile of sulfonates and mid-chain perfluorocarboxylates in the water and preferential enrichment of long-chain sulfonates in sediment. The close agreement between DGT and POCIS-PFAS supports the use of DGT as a complementary passive sampling tool in cold Arctic waters, despite possible compound- and matrix-specific limitations. The study provides baseline data for remediation progress monitoring and for the further development of passive sampling in remote polar environments.

Keywords

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, forever chemicals, contamination, Arctic region, DGT samplers

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 1. 4. 2026

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 18. 5. 2026
• Supervisor: Ing. Barbora Böserle Hudcová, Ph.D.
• Reader: Adam Jan Sochacki, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Master programme:
Environmental Geosciences