Overall, the results of this study indicated that: 532
About 80-90% of PFOS/PFOA contamination in the Chinese environment was 533
estimated to come from manufacturing and use facilities mostly via industrial 534
wastewater discharge. 535
For PFOS the next most important contamination sources was the use of AFFF 536
and sulfluramid pesticides, while domestic wastewater and industrial exhaust gas 537
losses were much less important. 538
For PFOA the most important losses after industrial wastewater were deemed to 539
be from domestic wastewater, industrial exhaust gas and landfill. 540
Industrial wastewater, landfill leachate and AFFF application often cause local 541
risk hotspots of PFOS/PFOA in the Chinese environment. 542
The most beneficial way to reduce environmental contamination by PFOS/PFOA 543
in China would be to focus on controlling release from industrial wastewater. 544
Besides, local pollution hotspots caused by AFFF application and landfill leachate 545
should also be paid attention. 546
Acknowledgements 547
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 548
No. 414201040045 and No. 41371488]; the International Scientific Cooperation 549
Program [Grant No. 2012DFA91150]; and the Key Project of the Chinese Academy of 550
Sciences [Grant No.KZZD-EW-TZ-12]. The UK authors are grateful for support from 551
the NERC Newton fund to assist their collaboration with China. 552
553 554
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