Preliminary study of trifluoroacetic acid in surface waters of the Pearl River Estuary and neighboring eastern offshore sea area
珠江口及其以东近海海域表层海水中三氟乙酸的初步研究

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) levels in surface waters of the Pearl River Estuary and neighboring eastern offshore sea area were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry after derivatization process. TFA levels in surface water ranged from 113 to 170ng.L–1 in the Pearl River Estuary and from 202 to 336ng.L–1 in neighboring Daya Bay and Honghai Bay. The average TFA concentration in coastal waters of the Honghai Bay was 279ng.L–1, which was much higher than that in the water samples from the open sea (210ng.L–1), suggesting possible source input within or around the Honghai Bay. The average TFA level in surface waters of open sea was 69.1ng.L–1 higher than that in surface waters of the Pearl River Estuary, indicating unknown anthropogenic or natural sources leading to accumulation in the ocean as final sink of this strongly hydrophilic and fully persistent chemical.