The Distribution and Pollution Pathway Analysis of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in a Typical Agricultural Plastic Greenhouse for Cultivated Vegetables

Yiran Zhou, Mingzhen Wang (), Junhong Xin, Yongning Wu and Minglin Wang ()
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Yiran Zhou: College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Mingzhen Wang: Dongying Vocational Institute, Dongying 257091, China
Junhong Xin: College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Yongning Wu: College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Minglin Wang: College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: Plastic greenhouses play an important role in vegetable cultivation in China. While evaluations have attributed perfluoroalkyl acid contamination in greenhouse vegetables primarily to irrigation water, the potential contribution from greenhouse plastic films has consistently been overlooked, despite PFAAs’ long-standing use as anti-fogging agents. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of PFAA contamination was conducted in greenhouses at the Shouguang vegetable base in China, based on extensive environmental and crop sample collection, followed by analysis using LC-MS/MS. PFAAs are still used in greenhouse plastic film, and their migration to the surface water mist and the air inside the greenhouse was also observed. Elevated levels of PFAA pollution were found near the corner areas of greenhouses with longer service times, leading to further pollution of the soil and nearby vegetables. This is considered as the primary source which may have been caused by PFAAs migrating with condensation from the plastic film and accumulating for decades. However, polluted irrigation water still remains the dominate source of PFAAs in other areas inside the greenhouse. Based on our analysis, we conclude that PFAAs present in plastic films could be the primary contaminant source for vegetables in specific zones. This underscores the urgent need for heightened vigilance towards environmental pollution within agricultural facilities, which currently represent the most prevalent mode of intensive vegetable cultivation in China.

Keywords: perfluoroalkyl acids; pollution distribution; soil contamination; plastic film; greenhouse vegetables (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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