To overcome the limitations of rigid body limit equilibrium methods in earth rock dam slope stability analysis, this study develops a system reliability framework using the finite element strength reduction method (FEM-SRM). An elastoplastic finite element model simulates dam construction and impoundment, identifying potential slip pathways. Each pathway, treated as a parallel system of shear-failed elements, is analyzed via the response surface method to derive explicit limit state functions. Reliability indices are computed using an improved first-order second-moment method, while interdependencies are assessed through stepwise equivalent linearization. System reliability is determined using Ditlevsen’s narrow bound method. Applied to a 314 m earth rockfill dam, three critical slip pathways were identified: upstream shallow (reliability index is 6.94), upstream deep (reliability index is 6.87), and downstream deep (reliability index is 7.44), with correlation coefficients between 0.26 and 0.89. The system reliability index (6.81) significantly exceeds the code target (4.2), highlighting the method’s ability to integrate material randomness, stress-strain nonlinearity, and multi-slip interactions. This framework provides a robust probabilistic approach for high earth rock dam stability assessment, enhancing engineering safety evaluations.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging pollutants of global concern due to their high environmental persistence and bioaccumulative characteristics. This study investigates PFAS concentrations in soils from China through an extensive literature review, covering soil samples from seventeen provinces and the years from 2009 to 2024. It was found that the total concentration of PFAS in soil ranged from 0.25 to 6240 ng/g, with the highest contamination levels observed in coastal provinces, particularly Fujian (620 ng/g) and Guangdong (1090 ng/g). Moreover, Fujian Province ranked the highest among multiple regions with a median PFAS concentration of 15.7 ng/g for individual compounds. Ecological risk assessment, focusing on areas where perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were identified as the primary soil PFAS compounds, showed moderate ecological risk from PFOA in Shanghai (0.24), while PFOS posed a high ecological risk in Fujian and Guangdong, with risk values of 43.3 and 1.4, respectively. Source analysis revealed that anthropogenic activities, including PFAS production, firefighting foam usage, and landfills, were the primary contributors to soil contamination. Moreover, soil PFASs tend to migrate into groundwater via adsorption and seepage, ultimately entering the human body through bioaccumulation or drinking water, posing health risks. These findings enhance our understanding of PFAS distribution and associated risks in Chinese soils, providing crucial insights for pollution management, source identification, and regulation strategies in diverse areas.