Trifluoroacetate (TFA) is a highly mobile and persistent compound that occurs ubiquitously in the environment. Results from previous studies suggested an increase in the atmospheric deposition of TFA in the Northern Hemisphere starting in the 1990s. Due to its physicochemical properties, TFA can be efficiently taken up and accumulated by vascular plants. Consequently, plants could serve as a biomonitoring tool to evaluate the presence of TFA in the terrestrial environment. This is the first study which describes the concentrations and temporal trends of TFA in biota by analyzing archived leaf samples of various tree species from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (observation period: 1989–2020). Samples from different locations of the same species were each in a similar concentration range. The highest concentrations (up to ∼1000 μg/kg dry weight) were found in Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) leaves. A statistically significant positive trend in the TFA concentration within the study period was found for most species/sites, which is likely the result of both bioaccumulation as well as increasing emissions of gaseous TFA precursors over the last three decades. These results contribute to the current discussion on the regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to protect human and environmental health.

中文翻译：

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归档植物中三氟乙酸 (TFA) 的含量和时间趋势：过去几十年气态 TFA 前体排放增加的证据

三氟乙酸 (TFA) 是一种高度流动和持久的化合物，普遍存在于环境中。先前研究的结果表明，从 1990 年代开始，北半球 TFA 的大气沉降有所增加。由于其物理化学性质，TFA可以被维管植物有效吸收和积累。因此，植物可以作为生物监测工具来评估陆地环境中 TFA 的存在。这是第一项通过分析来自德国环境标本库（观察期：1989-2020）的各种树种的存档叶片样本来描述生物群中 TFA 浓度和时间趋势的研究。来自同一物种不同位置的样品各自处于相似的浓度范围内。Populus nigra 'Italica') 叶。在研究期间，大多数物种/地点的 TFA 浓度呈统计上显着的正趋势，这可能是过去 30 年生物积累以及气态 TFA 前体排放增加的结果。这些结果有助于当前对全氟和多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 的监管以保护人类和环境健康的讨论。