Cluster and multivariate analysis to study the diffuse contamination of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Veneto Region plain (North-eastern Italy)

In recent years, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as major pollutants of concern. This study considered a real case of superficial and groundwater contamination caused by a set of 15 persistent, carcinogenic, and bioaccumulative compounds. The study area is the Veneto Region floodplain in Italy, where a huge contamination mainly caused by a persistent spill-over from a former chemical factory was discovered in 2013. The contamination path studied in 2013 followed mainly two directions: the first towards east, to the city of Vicenza, and the second following the course of Chiampo and Agno streams, southwards. To identify the major patterns of contamination, a Factor Analysis (PCA) in conjunction with a Cluster Analysis (CA) was performed. The reviewed dataset is composed by PFAS concentration values collected from 2013 to 2021 in groundwater, superficial waters, in natural sources, and in proximity to three industrial discharges, throughout a 3600 km2 area. The CA results were cross-referenced with the water table interpolation, yielding a match between the groundwater flow directions and the observed patterns of the two main plumes. The persistence of pollutants was finally investigated by analyzing distances between the former chemical factory, an industrial wastewater collector which lies along Chiampo and Agno valleys that host residential and industrial areas, and the other sampling points collected in the dataset. The findings confirmed the importance of assessing anthropic background levels of contamination and highlighted the necessity to include the PFAS issue in a national health-based drinking water quality guideline.