Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in sediments of the Forth estuary, 2020-2021, and north Aberdeenshire coastline, 2023, Scotland
https://doi.org/10.5285/47b4224a-5446-4bba-b787-41588abef3af
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This dataset comprises the concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) measured in bed sediments collected from the Forth estuary in Scotland in 2020-2021, in addition to the north Aberdeenshire coastline in 2023. Bed sediment samples (n=151) were collected from November 2020 to July 2021 from the Forth estuary in Scotland, UK. Two sampling areas in the estuary were selected, covering the inner estuary (towards the head of the estuary), and the outer estuary (sites closer to the estuary mouth). Bed sediment samples (n=8) were also collected in February 2023 from sites off the coast of North Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK using the same sample collection methodology.
These data were collected as part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded project entitled Uptake of chemicals from legacy waste sites in coastal food webs and effects on higher predators (NERC reference NE/T003596/1).
These data were collected as part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded project entitled Uptake of chemicals from legacy waste sites in coastal food webs and effects on higher predators (NERC reference NE/T003596/1).
Publication date: 2026-07-17
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Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84
Temporal information
Temporal extent
2020-11-02 to 2021-07-30
2023-02-01 to 2023-02-28
Provenance & quality
A 250 cm2 Van Veen grab sampler was used to collect bed surface sediment samples at a range of water column depths (2-57 m). All samples were stored in glass containers at -20 °C. Sediment samples were analysed for a suite of 15 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Analytes were extracted from the sediments using microwave extraction. Sample clean-up was carried out with Envirocarb carbon black. PFASs were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Quantification of all analytes was carried out using 13C-labelled and 18O-labelled internal standards and calibration curves of unlabelled analyte standards. All concentrations were blank-corrected where necessary, and are reported in ng g-1 ww (wet weight).
Licensing and constraints
This dataset will be available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
Cite this dataset as:
Billings, A.; Daunt, F.; Grant, A.; Olszewska, J.P.; Pickard, A.; Bogdanova, M.I.; Sleep, D.; Pereira, M.G. (2026). Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in sediments of the Forth estuary, 2020-2021, and north Aberdeenshire coastline, 2023, Scotland. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/47b4224a-5446-4bba-b787-41588abef3af
Related
Correspondence/contact details
Other contacts
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk