Distribution and ecological risk assessment of priority water pollutants in surface river sediments with emphasis on industrially affected areas.

Priority water pollutants comprising six plasticizers, 18 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), 1,4-dioxane, epichlorohydrin, formaldehyde, acrylamide, and cyanides were determined in surface river sediments to assess their distribution patterns and ecological risks. Among these, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), toluene, TPH, and acrylamide were frequently found in sediments. The industrial sites had higher concentrations of ∑plasticizers (median 628 ng/g dry weight (dw)), ∑VOCs (median 3.35 ng/g dw), acrylamide (median 0.966 ng/g dw), and TPH (median 152 µg/g dw) in sediments than the mixed and non-industrial areas. The other pollutants did not show the significant differences in levels according to site types because of their relatively low detection frequencies. Volatile and soluble substances as well as hydrophobic pollutants were predominantly detected in surface sediments from industrial areas. Sediment contamination patterns were affected by the size and composition of the industrial zones around the sampling sites. The ecological risks determined using the sediment quality guidelines (DEHP, VOCs, and TPH) and the mean probable effect level quotients (DEHP) were mostly acceptable. However, the two most representative industrial regions (the largest industrial area and the first industrial city) showed risks of concern for DEHP and TPH.

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in surface sediments from river networks, South Korea: Spatial distribution, source identification, and ecological risks.

In this study, the nationwide monitoring of 65 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 23 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments was conducted at 77 sites in river networks in South Korea. The concentrations of ∑PCBs were relatively high in industrial sites (0.0297-138 ng/g dry weight (dw); mean 15.1 ng/g dw; median 5.44 ng/g dw), followed by industrial and agricultural (not detected (ND)-15.2 ng/g dw; mean 1.23 ng/g dw; median 0.513 ng/g dw), other sites (0.0369-0.209 ng/g dw; mean 0.116 ng/g dw; median 0.101 ng/g dw), and agricultural (0.0119-0.359 ng/g dw; mean 0.117 ng/g dw; median 0.0476 ng/g dw). The distribution and composition of PCBs in sediments are affected by past use of commercial products, atmospheric deposition, wastewater effluents, and manufacturing processes. The concentrations of ∑OCPs in industrial sites ranged from 0.0587 to 8.70 ng/g dw (mean 1.85 ng/g dw; median 0.989 ng/g dw), followed by industrial and agricultural (ND-8.54 ng/g dw; mean 0.739 ng/g dw; median 0.343 ng/g dw), other sites (0.0247-0.143 ng/g dw; mean 0.0939 ng/g dw; median 0.114 ng/g dw), and agricultural (0.00838-0.931 ng/g dw; mean 0.232 ng/g dw; median 0.0752 ng/g dw). Hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene are unintentionally generated in industries and combustion processes. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes and chlordane were dominantly distributed by historical use, whereas recent inputs (i.e., long-range transport and atmospheric deposition) were related to aldrin, heptachlor, and hexachlorocyclohexanes. The ecological risks determined by the sediment quality guidelines and mean probable effect level quotients were acceptable, except at two sites.

Working with dreams and nightmares: A review of the research evidence.

In this article, we describe methods for working with dreams and nightmares in individual psychotherapy, provide clinical examples, and review research evidence of immediate and distal outcomes of each method. An original meta-analysis of eight studies using the cognitive-experiential dream model with 514 clients showed moderate effect sizes for session depth and insight gains. In the nightmare treatment literature, a previous meta-analysis of 13 studies with 511 clients showed moderate to large effects in reducing nightmare frequency and small to moderate effects in decreasing sleep disturbance for imagery rehearsal therapy and exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy. Limitations of the current meta-analysis of cognitive-experiential dreamwork and of the reviewed research on nightmare methods are described. Training implications and therapeutic practice recommendations are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Meaning in life measure: a five-Item short form and its measurement invariance across gender, age, and cultural contexts.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to develop a revised version of the Meaning In Life Measure (MILM; Hill et al., 2019) and investigate its multilevel measurement invariance at the between-person and within-person levels and multi-group measurement invariance across gender, age, and cultural groups. METHODS: We analyzed an international dataset including data from 1600 sessions with 384 clients in five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America) using multilevel item response theory and multilevel factor analysis. RESULTS: We found that the revised 5-item MILM-5 had satisfactory reliability and structural validity with the overall sample. Further, it demonstrated measurement invariance across the between- and within-person levels, and also across gender and age groups. Across representative countries within continents, the MILM-5 had the same overall factor structure but all factor loadings and item intercepts significantly differed across cultural contexts. Implications are discussed regarding the assessment of meaning in life in international clinical settings.

Evaluation of population estimation methods for wastewater-based epidemiology in a metropolitan city.

This study evaluated the effect of population estimation on the calculation of drug biomarker consumption using wastewater-based epidemiology. Population estimates using mobile phone data, census data, and wastewater quality parameters, such as biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), were evaluated in six different wastewater treatment plant catchment areas of Busan Metropolitan City, South Korea. The population based on mobile phone data was affected by the patterns of non-resident population movements in each area. The population-normalized daily loads (PNDLs) of methamphetamine were compared according to the different population results. The PNDLs using the population based on mobile phone data (PNDLMobile) was 5.87-27.0 mg/d/1000 people. The PNDLMobile values were notably different from the PNDLs using wastewater quality parameters (PNDLWastewater) (PNDLWastewater/PNDLMobile: 51-148 %, mean 93 %, relative standard deviation (RSD) 36 %), indicating the unsuitability of population estimation using BOD, TN, and TP. In areas with a large concentration of workplaces, the PNDLs using census data (PNDLCensus) differed from the PNDLMobile values (PNDLCensus/PNDLMobile: 57-124 %, mean 94 %, RSD 27 %), whereas other areas showed similar values for PNDLCensus and PNDLMobile (PNDLCensus/PNDLMobile: 95-108 %, mean 102 %, RSD 4.2 %). In particular, the total population estimates of the six survey areas using census data were approximately the same as those based on mobile phone data (RSD: 0.8 %), indicating a decrease in the influence of the non-residential active population in the entire metropolitan city.

Exposure and Risk Assessment of Korean Firefighters to PBDEs and PAHs via Fire Vehicle Dust and Personal Protective Equipment.

In this study, the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were characterized in firefighters' personal protective equipment (PPE) (i.e., jackets, pants, hoods, and gloves) and vehicle dust wipe samples to assess the exposure and potential risk of firefighters to these combustion-related toxic pollutants. The mean levels of ∑PBDEs in the fire vehicle dust samples (778 and 449 pg/cm2 for pump trucks and command cars, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the private vehicles (31.2 pg/cm2) (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.05), which was similar to the ∑PAH levels (521, 185, and 46.8 pg/cm2 for pump trucks, command cars, and private vehicles, respectively). In the case of firefighters' PPE, the levels of ∑PBDEs and ∑PAHs in used jackets and pants were found to be, respectively, 70- to 2242-folds and 11- to 265-folds higher than those in their unused counterparts. Biomass/petroleum combustion was found to be the main source of PAH contamination in fire vehicle dust and used PPE in the present study. Both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks via vehicle dust ingestion and dermal absorption from wearing of PPE were within permissible limits, although the relative risk evaluation showed that PAH/PBDE absorption via wearing of PPE could pose a higher likelihood of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks than the ingestion of pollutants via fire vehicle dust, warranting the need for appropriate management of firefighters' personal protective ensembles.

Evaluation of sample preparation methods for suspect and non-target screening in water, sediment, and biota samples using gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.

In this study, the sample preparation methods were proposed for the suspect and non-target screening (SNTS) using gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry in the aquatic environment. The pretreatment methods were evaluated based on detection rates, recoveries, and screening detection limits (SDLs) for 316 substances spiked into surface water, sediment, and biota samples. The detection rates of the spiked compounds were 92.1 % and 98.7 % by the sample preparation methods for water (solid-phase extraction using HLB cartridge) and sediment (ultrasonic extraction (USE) with HLB cartridge clean-up), respectively. Similarly, USE with HLB cartridge clean-up gave the highest detection rate (87.9 %) for biota samples; however, additional pretreatment method using deactivated silica gel clean-up was necessary for the detection of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The SDL ranges of spiked compounds by the suggested pretreatment methods were 0.01-23.5 ng/L for surface water, 0.02-37.5 ng/g dry weight for sediment, and 0.01-12.2 ng/g wet weight for biota. Although some pollutants, such as POPs had SDLs that were higher than the levels normally detected in the aquatic environment as reported in previous studies, the analytical methods suggested in the present study were satisfactory for the SNTS of most pollutants originated from anthropogenic sources.

The process and outcome of spiritually integrated psychotherapies: A cross-cultural study in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

We investigated the process and outcome of spiritually integrated psychotherapies (SIPs) with 34 Catholic therapists and 359 clients in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America using a practice-based evidence design. The three most frequently used spiritual interventions across all therapists were: "encouraging personal prayer," "affirming trusting God," and "encouraging listening to the heart," but "discussing hope" was also one of the top three in Asia and Africa, "self-control" in Asia, "spiritual confrontation" and "self-disclosure" in Latin America, and "listening to spiritual issues" in Europe. In addition, using growth curve analyses, we found a significant decrease in both spiritual and nonspiritual distress over the course of SIPs; the levels of spiritual and nonspiritual concerns were highly correlated (but distinct) at any given time point. Also, the nonspiritual outcomes at one session significantly predicted the subsequent session's spiritual outcomes, but not the other way around. Finally, a moderate number of spiritual interventions were associated with a faster decline in nonspiritual distress than was a low number, although we found mixed results regarding whether a high number of spiritual interventions was associated with a faster decline of clients' nonspiritual distress than a moderate number. Results suggest that therapists should attend to spiritual concerns in psychotherapy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessment of Exposure of Korean Firefighters to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons via Their Measurement in Serum and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites in Urine.

This study investigated the occupational exposure of Korean firefighters to a suite of combustion-related pollutants. Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was assessed by measurement of their levels in serum and metabolites in urine (i.e., monohydroxylated PAHs, OH-PAHs). The mean level of ∑PBDEs in the serum of firefighters (17.1 ng/g lipid weight (lw)) was significantly higher than that of the general population (1.39 ng/g lw) (Mann-Whitney U Test, p < 0.05), which is similar to the ∑PAH levels (1286 ng/g lw for firefighters and 1016 ng/g lw for the general population). Individual OH-PAH levels showed 2.1- to 4.2-fold increases in postfire urine samples compared to the control urine samples, with the mean ∑OH-PAHs being significantly higher in postfire urine samples (22,658 ng/g creatinine) than in the control urine samples (10,253 ng/g creatinine) (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). It was found that ∑PBDEs correlated with firefighters' length of service and years dedicated to on-site dispatch, while ∑OH-PAHs was strongly associated with firefighters' exposure duration, age, length of service, and years dedicated to on-site dispatch. Indeed, the results of the present study indicate that Korean firefighters are prone to elevated risk of exposure to toxic combustion-related pollutants compared with the general population.

Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water Treatment Plants from Korea: Occurrence and Human Exposure.

In this study, the concentrations of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were investigated in raw water and treated water samples obtained from 18 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). The ∑13OPFR concentrations in the treated water samples (29.5-122 ng/L; median 47.5 ng/L) were lower than those in the raw water (37.7-231 ng/L; median 98.1 ng/L), which indicated the positive removal rates (0-80%) of ∑13OPFR in the DWTPs. The removal efficiencies of ∑27PFAS in the DWTPs ranged from -200% to 50%, with the ∑27PFAS concentrations in the raw water (4.15-154 ng/L; median 32.0 ng/L) being similar to or lower than those in the treated water (4.74-116 ng/L; median 42.2 ng/L). Among OPFR, tris(chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were dominant in both raw water and treated water samples obtained from the DWTPs. The dominant PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)) in the raw water samples were slightly different from those in the treated water samples (PFOA, L-perfluorohexane sulfonate (L-PFHxS), and PFHxA). The 95-percentile daily intakes of ∑13OPFR and ∑27PFAS via drinking water consumption were estimated to be up to 4.9 ng/kg/d and 0.22 ng/kg/d, respectively. The hazard index values of OPFR and PFAS were lower than 1, suggesting the risks less than known hazardous levels.

Characteristic distribution patterns of perfluoroalkyl substances in soils according to land-use types.

In this study, a nationwide monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils was conducted for various land-use types around South Korea, such as industrial complexes, landfills, farmlands, mountains, and woodlands. The ∑15PFAS concentrations in soil samples ranged from 0.175 to 11.7 ng/g dry weight (dw) (median 2.39 ng/g dw). The soil samples from industrial complexes (0.346-11.7 ng/g dw; median 3.25 ng/g dw) and landfills (0.504-10.4 ng/g dw; median 2.13 ng/g dw) had higher median ∑15PFAS concentrations than other regions (0.175-3.01 ng/g dw; median 1.15 ng/g dw). In the soil samples from industrial areas, the ∑15PFAS concentrations ranged from 3.11 to 11.7 ng/g dw (median 6.32 ng/g dw) from the textile industries, 3.26-8.74 ng/g dw (median 6.20 ng/g dw) from the metal industries, 1.53-5.71 ng/g dw (median 3.38 ng/g) from the chemical industries, and 0.346-3.48 ng/g dw (median 2.39 ng/g dw) from the electronics industries. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and long chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) between C9 and C12 were generally dominant in these soils. In particular, PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and PFCAs with ≤ C6 were more frequently found in soils from industrial complexes than from other land-use types. On the other hand, PFCAs between C7 and C12 had relatively high detection frequencies regardless of the soil type.

Occurrence and distribution of carbamazepine, nicotine, estrogenic compounds, and their transformation products in wastewater from various treatment plants and the aquatic environment.

The concentrations and fates of carbamazepine and metabolites (CBMs), nicotine and metabolites (NCTs), estrogenic compounds and metabolites (Es) in various water samples were investigated. Different concentrations were found for water from different sources. The concentrations of these pharmaceuticals and personal care products and their metabolites in human waste treatment plant (HTP) influents (0.08-173 µg L-1) were higher than in the other influent samples and the lowest levels were observed in hospital wastewater treatment plant influents (0.03-7.33 µg L-1). The concentrations were higher in HTP effluents (0.01-11.2 µg L-1) than in the other effluent samples and lowest in sewage treatment plant effluents (0.003-1.26 µg L-1). The NCTs were the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (concentration range 0.05-89.6 µg L-1) in the wastewater treatment plant influents, but the CBMs were found at the highest concentrations (0.003-6.88 µg L-1). 10, 11-Dihydro-10, 11-dihydroxycarbamazepine was the most abundant of the CBMs in the wastewater treatment plants and water samples. Trans-3'-hydroxycotinine was dominant in the HTP and hospital wastewater treatment plant influents, whereas the parent NCT was dominant in the sewage treatment plant influents and in all the effluent and other water samples. Estriol was the dominant estrogenic compound in the HTP and hospital wastewater treatment plant influents. Estriol and estrone were found in many of the HTP influents, but estrone was dominant in the effluent and other water samples. The total removal efficiencies for the CBMs, NCTs, and estrogenic compounds for the treatment plants were -101% to 56%, 2.9%-99%, and >98%, respectively.

Optimization of disinfection by-product analysis methods for IMO G9 approval.

This study assessed the methods for analyzing disinfection by-products (DBPs) to determine which were most suitable for ballast water in an approval test according to the Procedure for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems that make use of Active Substances (G9). The existing analysis methods are optimized for drinking water. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the characteristics of ballast water, which has high levels of total residual oxidants (TROs) and salinity, prior to applying the existing methods. Sample preservation, pre-treatment and instrumental analysis methods were summarized based on certified test methods and the G9 final approval reports. Following the assessment, applicable methods were selected in consideration of the matrix effect arising from the high levels of TROs and salinity. The applicability was assessed using seawater and brackish water. The results are expected to be applied to the G9 test as well as in investigations of DBPs in ballast water.

How Religious Beliefs and Practices Influence the Psychological Health of Catholic Priests.

Roman Catholic diocesan priests are a subgroup of men with unique religious and spiritual roles, beliefs, and practices. This qualitative study of 15 priests from the mid-Atlantic area of the United States focused on how priests' relationship with God and promises of celibacy and obedience influenced their psychological health. Using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) design, the analysis revealed that participants described their relationship with God as central to their health and contributing to positive outcomes (e.g., sense of connection and support). The influence of their promises of celibacy and obedience were linked to both positive outcomes (e.g., decreased stress, improved relationships) and negative outcomes (e.g., internal conflict, depression/loneliness). This study highlighted the central role that priests' relationship with God has on positive psychological health. Future research is necessary to understand how to maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects of priests' promises of celibacy and obedience, which would benefit programs aimed at supporting priests' psychological health.

Well-being in first year medical students.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the well-being, attitudes toward counseling, willingness to seek counseling, and coping strategies of first year medical students. Gender differences in attitudes toward and willingness to seek counseling were also explored. METHODS: One hundred five first year medical students (98 % response rate) were administered a 59-item questionnaire about well-being, attitudes toward counseling, willingness to seek counseling, and coping strategies during the first week of medical school. The data were analyzed with hierarchical regression and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). RESULTS: Female medical students were less willing to seek counseling and had more negative attitudes toward counseling compared to male medical students. Most students indicated that they chose not to seek counseling because they did not feel a need for it. Three students reported that stigma prevented them from seeking counseling. Unhealthy coping strategies (denial, self-blame, and substance use) were negatively associated with well-being while healthy coping strategies (active coping, emotional support, and instrumental support) did not correlate with well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools should continue efforts to make counseling accessible. Conversations about counseling may help address the more negative attitudes of female students toward counseling, a finding which merits further investigation given that women typically have more positive attitudes toward counseling than men. Use of unhealthy coping strategies can be addressed in classes, clubs, and by advisors and mentors. Limitations of this study include that only first year medical students were surveyed and that it was a cross sectional study.

Evaluation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products with emphasis on anthelmintics in human sanitary waste, sewage, hospital wastewater, livestock wastewater and receiving water.

We investigated 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) with emphasis on anthelmintics and their metabolites in human sanitary waste treatment plants (HTPs), sewage treatment plants (STPs), hospital wastewater treatment plants (HWTPs), livestock wastewater treatment plants (LWTPs), river water and seawater. PPCPs showed the characteristic specific occurrence patterns according to wastewater sources. The LWTPs and HTPs showed higher levels (maximum 3000 times in influents) of anthelmintics than other wastewater treatment plants, indicating that livestock wastewater and human sanitary waste are one of principal sources of anthelmintics. Among anthelmintics, fenbendazole and its metabolites are relatively high in the LWTPs, while human anthelmintics such as albendazole and flubendazole are most dominant in the HTPs, STPs and HWTPs. The occurrence pattern of fenbendazole's metabolites in water was different from pharmacokinetics studies, showing the possibility of transformation mechanism other than the metabolism in animal bodies by some processes unknown to us. The river water and seawater are generally affected by the point sources, but the distribution patterns in some receiving water are slightly different from the effluent, indicating the influence of non-point sources.

Occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in wastewater from households, livestock farms, hospitals and pharmaceutical manufactures.

Twenty-four pharmaceuticals were measured in wastewater from 12 municipal wastewater treatment plants (M-WWTPs), four livestock WWTPs (L-WWTPs), four hospital WWTPs (H-WWTPs) and four pharmaceutical manufacture WWTPs (P-WWTPs). The total concentration of pharmaceuticals in the influent samples was highest in the L-WWTPs followed by the P-WWTPs, H-WWTPs and M-WWTPs. The effluents had different patterns of pharmaceuticals than their corresponding influents because of the different fate of each compound in the WWTPs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most dominant in the influents from the M-WWTPs and P-WWTPs, while antibiotics were dominantly detected in the L-WWTP. In the H-WWTP influents, NSAIDs, caffeine and carbamazepine were dominant. In the P-WWTPs, the distribution of pharmaceuticals in the effluents varied with sampling sites and periods. The M-WWTP influents had the highest daily loads, while the effluents showed somewhat similar levels in all source types.

Assessment of fates of estrogens in wastewater and sludge from various types of wastewater treatment plants.

We measured five estrogens in the wastewater samples from the municipal wastewater treatment plants (M-WWTPs), livestock wastewater treatment plants (L-WWTPs), hospital WWTPs (H-WWTPs) and pharmaceutical manufacture WWTPs (P-WWTPs) in Korea. The L-WWTPs showed the highest total concentration (0.195-10.4 µg L(-1)) of estrogens in the influents, followed by the M-WWTPs (0.028-1.15 µg L(-1)), H-WWTPs (0.068-0.130 µg L(-1)) and P-WWTPs (0.015-0.070 µg L(-1)). Like the influents, the L-WWTPs (0.003-0.729 µg L(-1)) and the M-WWTPs (0.001-0.299µgL(-1)) also showed higher total concentration of estrogens in the effluents than the H-WWTPs (0.002-0.021 µg L(-1)) and P-WWTPs (0.011 µg L(-1) in one sample). The L-WWTPs (37.5-543 µg kg(-1), dry weight) showed higher total concentrations in sludge than the M-WWTPs (3.16-444 µg kg(-1), dry weight) like the wastewater. The distribution of estrogens in the WWTPs may be affected by their metabolism in the human body, their transition through biological treatment processes, and their usage for livestock growth. Unlike the concentration results, the daily loads of estrogens from the M-WWTPs were the highest, which is related to the high capacities of WWTPs.

Characteristic occurrence patterns of micropollutants and their removal efficiencies in industrial wastewater treatment plants.

The concentrations and removal efficiencies of various kinds of micropollutants were investigated and the relationships between the input sources of industrial wastewater and occurrence patterns of each micropollutant were identified at nine on-site industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The distribution pattern of each compound varied according to the WWTP type and several micropollutants were significantly related with specific industries: chlorinated phenols (ClPhs) with paper and metal industries, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with petrogenic- and pyrogenic-related industries, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) with the paper industry, and chlorinated benzenes (ClBzs) with dye-related industries. The activated sludge (AS) process was very efficient in the removal of ClPhs and PAHs, and the filtration process in the removal of PCDD/Fs and 1,4-dioxane. Generally, the removal efficiencies of each micropollutant varied according to the WWTP type.

Evaluation of the fate of perfluoroalkyl compounds in wastewater treatment plants.

Recent studies have shown that the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a significant source of perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in natural water. In this study, 10 PFCs were analyzed in influent and effluent wastewater and sludge samples in 15 municipal, 4 livestock and 3 industrial WWTPs in Korea. The observed distribution pattern of PFCs differed between the wastewater and sludge samples. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was dominant in the sludge samples with a concentration ranging from 3.3 to 54.1 ng/g, whereas perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was dominant in wastewater and ranged from 2.3 to 615 ng/L and 3.4 to 591 ng/L in influent and effluent wastewater, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) results provided an explanation for this variation in PFC distribution patterns in the aqueous and sludge samples. The fates of PFCs in the WWTPs were related with the functional groups. The PFOS concentrations tended to decrease after treatment in most WWTPs, whereas PFOA increased. The different fates of PFOA and PFOS in WWTPs were attributed to the higher organic carbon-normalized distribution coefficient of perfluoroalkylsulfonate (PFASs) than that of the carboxylate analog, indicating the preference of PFASs to partition to sludge. Although industrial WWTPs contained high concentration of PFCs, they are not the main source of PFCs in Korean water environment because of their small release amount. WWTPs located in big cities discharged more PFCs, suggesting household sewage is one of the significant sources of PFCs contamination in the environment.