Australian PFAS Chemicals Map

Contribution of Treated Sewage to Nutrients and PFAS in Rivers Within Australia’s Most Important Drinking Water Catchment

by Katherine G. Warwick, Michelle M. Ryan, Helen E. Nice  and Ian A. Wright

https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/6/182

“PFAS were often detected in Warragamba catchment STP effluent but less often, and in much lower concentrations, in river water samples below STP outfalls. However, PFAS were frequently detected in river sediment samples collected downstream of STPs. The mean PFAS concentration of all river sediment samples was 935 ng kg−1. One sampling site had the largest PFAS content. It was the site on the Wingecarribee River at Berrima, downstream from Bowral STP. One sediment sample collected from this site had the highest PFAS content in this study with 8300 ng kg−1, dominated by a PFOS content of 7600 ng kg−1. This was also the location that a platypus was found in a previous study, linked to this one, with an elevated PFOS (390 µg kg−1) content in its liver [37]. We speculate that the accumulation of PFAS in this platypus was probably due to the enriched PFAS content in river sediment that was consumed by the platypus as they foraged amongst the stream bed for invertebrate food. Platypus are known to ingest substantial amounts of sediment in their diet…”

2025: Wingecarribee River, Berrima (NSW). PFAS in sediment

in ,

Contribution of Treated Sewage to Nutrients and PFAS in Rivers Within Australia’s Most Important Drinking Water Catchment

by Katherine G. Warwick, Michelle M. Ryan, Helen E. Nice  and Ian A. Wright

https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/6/182

“PFAS were often detected in Warragamba catchment STP effluent but less often, and in much lower concentrations, in river water samples below STP outfalls. However, PFAS were frequently detected in river sediment samples collected downstream of STPs. The mean PFAS concentration of all river sediment samples was 935 ng kg−1. One sampling site had the largest PFAS content. It was the site on the Wingecarribee River at Berrima, downstream from Bowral STP. One sediment sample collected from this site had the highest PFAS content in this study with 8300 ng kg−1, dominated by a PFOS content of 7600 ng kg−1. This was also the location that a platypus was found in a previous study, linked to this one, with an elevated PFOS (390 µg kg−1) content in its liver [37]. We speculate that the accumulation of PFAS in this platypus was probably due to the enriched PFAS content in river sediment that was consumed by the platypus as they foraged amongst the stream bed for invertebrate food. Platypus are known to ingest substantial amounts of sediment in their diet…”