Riverine microbial communities impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emissions from a fluoropolymer-manufacturing plant

Chao Guo; Lutz Ahrens; Stefan Bertilsson; Marco J L Coolen; Jianhui Tang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131803

Riverine microbial communities impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emissions from a fluoropolymer-manufacturing plant

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Sep 5:457:131803. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131803. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

Authors

Chao Guo¹, Lutz Ahrens², Stefan Bertilsson², Marco J L Coolen³, Jianhui Tang⁴

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
² Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
³ WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China. Electronic address: jhtang@yic.ac.cn.

PMID: 37307734
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131803

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread pollutants that can influence microorganisms. To unveil the effects of PFAS in natural microecosystems, a study that focused on the bacterial, fungal, and microeukaryotic communities around the PFAS point source was conducted in China. A total of 255 specific taxa were significantly different between the upstream and downstream samples, 54 of which were directly correlated with PFAS concentration. Stenotrophomonas (99.2 %), Ralstonia (90.7 %), Phoma (21.9 %), and Alternaria (97.6 %) were the dominant genera in sediment samples from the downstream communities. In addition, most of the dominant taxa were significantly correlated with PFAS concentration. Furthermore, the type of microorganism (bacteria, fungi, and microeukaryotes) and habitat (sediment or pelagic) also influence the microbial community responses to PFAS exposure. Pelagic microorganisms featured more PFAS-correlated biomarker taxa (36 pelagic microeukaryotic biomarkers and 8 pelagic bacteria biomarkers) than the sediments (9 sediment fungi biomarkers and 5 sediment bacteria biomarker). In general, around the factory, the microbial community was more variable in pelagic, summer, and microeukaryotic conditions than in other types. Attention needs to be paid to these variables in the future effect of PFAS on microorganisms.

Keywords: Discriminant analysis; NMDS; PFAS; Seasonal change; Sequencing.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids*
Bacteria
Fluorocarbon Polymers
Fluorocarbons* / analysis
Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities
Microbiota*
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Fluorocarbon Polymers
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Fluorocarbons
Alkanesulfonic Acids