Structure–activity relationship assessment of four perfluorinated chemicals using a prolonged zebrafish early life stage test

PFOS affects posterior swim bladder chamber inflation and swimming performance of zebrafish larvae

“…These behaviours are necessary to reach the air-water interface after which the larvae gulp air that is transmitted by peristaltic movement through the foregut and the pneumatic duct into the gas bladder lumen to inflate the swim bladder by 4-5 dpf (Goolish and Okutake, 1999;Lindsey et al, 2010). Several studies describe tail malformations such as a spinal curvature, apoptosis in the tail region and muscle lesions after PFOS exposure (Huang et al, 2010;Hagenaars et al, 2011;Shi et al, 2008;Ulhaq et al, 2013a;Zhang et al, 2011;Zheng et al, 2012). Ji et al (2008) demonstrated that the swim-up success in medaka larvae was decreased when the parent generation was exposed to PFOS.…”

“…seen on swim bladder inflation might be attributed to this. Also, we suggested in a previous study that the inflation of the swim bladder might be directly perturbed by the surfactant properties of PFOS (Hagenaars et al, 2011) as the production of surfactant is crucial to maintaining the surface tension necessary for swim bladder inflation (Prem et al, 2000).…”

“…The aquatic environment is known as an important sink for PFAS resulting in high concentrations in aquatic organisms. Despite the phase-out of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) production Hagenaars et al, 2011;Shi et al, 2008;Ulhaq et al, 2013a;Zheng et al, 2012). Spinal curvature or the impairment of swim bladder inflation can alter swimming performance and buoyancy in both juvenile and adult fish and therefore affect essential behaviour such as feeding, predator avoidance and reproduction (Gee, 1983).…”

Per- and polyfluorinated substances in the Nordic Countries

“…In the study mentioned above on effects of PFBS on embryonic development in zebrafish (Danio rerio), it was not possible to determine its LC50 value due to the low mortality rate of the compound even at high exposure concentrations (500 and 3,000 mg/L). The results however, demonstrated significantly altered heart rates in the embryos as well as malformations of their heads after exposure to PFBS (Hagenaars et al, 2011b). In juvenile mallards and northern bobwhite quail, PFBS was found to affect the body weight gains of quail exposed to 5,620 or 10,000 mg PFBS/kg feed, which were statistically less than that of unexposed controls (Newsted et al, 2008).…”

“…As a result, the production volumes of PFBS have expanded during the last decade and PFBS has already been detected in environmental samples. The general lack of information on its toxicological mode of action and the potential hazard it may pose against ecological species, has therefore directed a great deal of focus on PFBS during the last years (Hagenaars et al, 2011b). According to the obtained ecotoxicological information on PFBS, its direct toxicity seems to be relatively low.…”