Bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Lake Erie food web

Junda Ren; Adam D Point; Sadjad Fakouri Baygi; Sujan Fernando; Philip K Hopke; Thomas M Holsen; Bernard S Crimmins

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120677

Bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Lake Erie food web

Environ Pollut. 2023 Jan 15:317:120677. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120677. Epub 2022 Nov 16.

Authors

Junda Ren¹, Adam D Point², Sadjad Fakouri Baygi³, Sujan Fernando⁴, Philip K Hopke⁵, Thomas M Holsen⁶, Bernard S Crimmins⁷

Affiliations

¹ Clarkson University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
² Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA.
³ Clarkson University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
⁴ Clarkson University, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
⁵ Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA; Clarkson University, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
⁶ Clarkson University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA; Clarkson University, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
⁷ Clarkson University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA; Clarkson University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA; AEACS, LLC, New Kensington, PA, USA. Electronic address: bernard.crimmins@aeacsllc.com.

PMID: 36400140
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120677

Abstract

The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Lake Erie food web was investigated by analyzing surface water and biological samples including 10 taxa of fish species, 2 taxa of benthos and zooplankton. The carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopic composition and fatty acids profiles of biological samples were used to evaluate the food web structure and assess the biomagnification of PFAS. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) dominated the total PFAS (ΣPFAS) concentration (50-90% of ΣPFAS concentration), followed by C9-C11 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs). The highest PFOS concentrations (79 ± 4.8 ng/g, wet weight (wwt)) and ΣPFAS (88 ± 5.2 ng/g, wwt) were detected in yellow perch (Perca flavescens). The C8-C14 PFAS biomagnification factors (BMFs) between apex piscivorous fish and prey fish were found to be generally greater than 1, indicative of PFAS biomagnification, while biodilution (BMF<1) was observed between planktivorous fish and zooplankton. Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of C8-C14 PFCA were not correlated with perfluoroalkyl chain length. The C4-C9 PFAS were detected in the surface water of Lake Erie, and PFBA was found to have the highest concentrations (2.1-2.8 ng/L) among all PFAS detected. The log of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was found to generally increase with increasing log K_ow for C6, 8, and 9 PFAS in all selected species from three tropic levels.

Keywords: Biomagnification; Fatty acids; Great lakes; PFAS; Stable isotopes.

MeSH terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids* / analysis
Animals
Bioaccumulation
Environmental Monitoring
Fluorocarbons* / analysis
Food Chain
Lakes
Perches*
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Zooplankton

Substances

perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
Fluorocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water
Alkanesulfonic Acids