Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in humus-mineral layers of forest soils : Distribution, key drivers, and leaching rates

Liu, Ying and Liu, Weijie and Zou, Yili and Sweetman, Andrew J. and Mao, Yao and Hu, Tianpeng and Zhang, Jiaquan and Qi, Shihua and Xing, Xinli (2026) Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in humus-mineral layers of forest soils : Distribution, key drivers, and leaching rates. Environmental Research, 304: 124869. ISSN 0013-9351

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Abstract

The toxicity and persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have made their widespread environmental contamination a significant global issue. Forests can uptake and trap PFASs from the atmosphere, but their environmental behavior and fate in forest humus layer and mineral soil remain unclear. This study investigated PFAS distribution, drivers, and leaching rates in Mt. Shennongjia, China. The concentrations of total PFASs (Σ24PFAS) in the humus layer (average of 5.67 ng/g) were higher than in mineral soil (2.79 ng/g), with long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) (46.8%-59.3%) being the predominant PFASs. Spatial distribution and correlation analysis indicates that, altitude and forest vegetation types influence the accumulation of PFASs in forest humus and soil. The concentration of PFASs generally increased with increasing altitude, and the sub-alpine conifer forest exhibited higher PFASs level than other vegetation types. The concentration of PFASs was positively correlated with the TOC content (r=0.356-0.745, p