Occurrence of Perfluoroalkyl Surfactants in Water, Fish, and Birds from New York State

Abstract

Concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and several other perfluoroalkyl surfactants (PASs) were determined in nine major water bodies (n = 51) of New York State (NYS). These PASs were also measured in the livers of two species of sport fish (n = 66) from 20 inland lakes in NYS. Finally, perfluorinated compounds were measured in the livers of 10 species of waterfowl (n = 87) from the Niagara River region in NYS. PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHS) were ubiquitous in NYS waters. PFOA was typically found at higher concentrations than were PFOS and PFHS. Elevated concentrations of PFOS were found in surface waters of Lake Onondaga, and elevated concentrations of PFOA were found in the Hudson River. PFOS was the most abundant perfluorinated compound in all fish and bird samples. PFOS concentrations in the livers of fishes ranged from 9 to 315 ng/g wet weight. PFOS, PFOA, and PFOSA (perfluorooctanesulfonamide) concentrations in smallmouth and largemouth bass (taken together) caught in remote mountain lakes with no known point sources of PAS contamination were 14 to 207, < 1.5 to 6.1, and < 1.5 to 9.8 ng/g wet weight, respectively. PFOS concentrations in the livers of birds ranged from 11 to 882 ng/g wet weight. PFOS concentrations were 2.5-fold greater (p = 0.001) in piscivorous birds than in non-piscivorous birds. However, PFOA, PFOSA, and PFHS were not found in bird livers. Overall, average concentrations of PFOS in fish were 8850-fold greater than those in surface water. An average biomagnification factor of 8.9 was estimated for PFOS in common merganser relative to that in fish. This study highlights the significance of dietary fish in PFOS accumulation in the food chain. Furthermore, our results provide information on the distribution of PASs in natural waters, fish, and several bird species in NYS.

Trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds in marine biota and in humans

“…[25,94,110,113] Analyses of blood of breeding lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) from northern Norway resulted in lower concentrations of PFCs in females than in males, [118] which is probably caused by excretion of PFCs through laying eggs as discussed earlier. [112,119,120] Additionally, high concentrations of long chain PFCAs in eggs support the assumption of an oviparous PFC transfer even though the extent might vary between species and different PFC compounds. [103,118,121] Lower PFC levels in females were also reported for C 14 -in fulmars and C 15 -PFCAs in murres [105] and for PFOS in mergansers.…”

“…PFOS, PFCAs and PFOSA) have different spatial distribution possibly due to long-range atmospheric transport and ocean current transport. Thus, according to Löfstrand et al PFCs should not be treated as one group of [119] Brown pelican, USA (Mississippi), 1990s, n ¼ 2 460.0 [119] Bald eagle, USA (various states), 1995-97, n ¼ 4 24.0-467.0 [25] Waterfowl (10 species n.d. [112] Arctic and northern oceans Thick-billed murre, Canada 5.0 o0.1 [98] Glaucous gull, Eastern Arctic, 1998, n ¼ 5 20.2 0.1 [96] Black-legged kittiwake, Eastern Arctic, 1998, n…”

“…[111] Additionally, the assessment of the global distribution is difficult because PFC concentrations in birds depend on the diet (significant higher PFOS concentrations were found in the livers of piscivorous birds than in non-piscivorous birds) [112] and therefore on their trophic levels, their specific bioaccumulation and elimination rates and on their migration pattern. Thus, the comparison of different species is problematic, as a consequence further investigations are necessary.…”

Induction of oxidative stress and related transcriptional effects of perfluorononanoic acid using an in vivo assessment

“…The high energy C-F bonds result in remarkable chemical stability and are highly resistant to degradation. Their wide application in industry and common consumer products over the past several decades has resulted in persistent and widespread pollution in the environment, including air, water and soil, as well as in wildlife and humans (Sinclair et al, 2006;Calafat et al, 2007;Lau et al, 2007;Ishibashi et al, 2008;Kunacheva et al, 2012). PFAAs can cause a number of toxic effects in the liver, immune system, and nervous system.…”

“…The concentrations of PFAAs in fish can reach 8850-fold greater than those in surface water (Sinclair et al, 2006). Oxidative damage may play an important role in the developmental toxicity caused by PFAAs in fish.…”