Toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Aquatic Invertebrates, Planktons, and Microorganisms

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 13;19(24):16729. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416729.

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), recognized worldwide as emerging pollutants, may pose a substantial threat to human health and our environment due to their stability, high concentrations, wide distribution, and easy accumulation. Ever since perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid were recognized by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the public has become increasingly concerned about potential contamination and the environmental risks associated with PFASs. Ubiquitous PFAS contamination of drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and sediment has been detected, especially in areas with rapid industrial and economic development. Its accumulation in living organisms and foods has accentuated the importance of investigations into aquatic organisms at the bottom of the food chain, as the stability and integrity of the food web as well as the population quantity and structure of the aquatic ecosystem may be affected. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the toxic and toxicity-related effects of PFASs on aquatic plankton, aquatic invertebrates and microorganisms, the characteristics of different target aquatic organisms in toxicity investigations, and a feasibility evaluation of PFAS substitutes to provide valuable suggestions for further utilization and regulation of PFASs and their substitutes.

Keywords: Daphnia magna; aquatic environment; benthic organisms; phytoplankton; toxicity.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkanesulfonic Acids* / analysis
  • Animals
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Drinking Water*
  • Ecosystem
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Fluorocarbons* / analysis
  • Fluorocarbons* / toxicity
  • Humans
  • Invertebrates
  • Plankton
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Alkanesulfonic Acids
  • Drinking Water
  • Fluorocarbons

Grants and funding

We gratefully acknowledge the funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42077143 & 41877127), The Young Top-notch Talent Cultivation Program of Hubei Province, Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Science and Technology Innovation Team Project of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education (HPDE) (T2020016), and the Training Fund Program for Scientific Research of Hubei University of Arts and Science (2020KYPYTD005).