Over the past decade, China has implemented a series of policies to regulate the production and emission of emerging pollutants. The Bohai and Yellow Seas area, severely contaminated with PFAS in the past, has been the hotspot for regulatory concern and management efforts. This study investigated the occurrence of PFAS in 15 main rivers around the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Results indicated that the concentrations of PFAS in water samples had declined substantially compared with levels from a decade ago. The spatial distribution showed that higher levels were observed in the Laizhou Bay area, with PFOA, PFPeA and PFHxA dominant. Novel PFAS alternatives were frequently detected, with detection rates of 96% for PF4OPeA and 82% for F-53B. Correlation analysis and positive definite matrix factor analysis model (PMF) were used to identify water PFAS sources in the study areas. Besides, an assessment of human health risks was conducted by estimating the concentration of PFAS in plankton, fish and benthos. The results showed that the edible aquatic organisms would not cause severe health effects on residents. Despite the success of control policies in reducing legacy PFAS, future emphasis should be placed on short-chain and novel PFAS.

PFAS,Spatial distribution,Correlation analysis,Source apportionment,Risk assessment