Exposure pathways and bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in freshwater aquatic ecosystems: Key considerations

Asa J. Lewis, Xiaoyan Yun, Daniel E. Spooner, Marie J. Kurz, Erica R. McKenzie, Christopher M. Sales

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

Due to the bioaccumulative behavior, toxicity, and recalcitrance to degradation, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a focus for many researchers investigating freshwater aquatic ecosystems. PFAS are a diverse set of chemicals that accumulate and transport quite differently in the environment depending on the length of their fluoroalkyl chains and their functional groups. This diversity in PFAS chemical characteristics combined with varying environmental factors also impact the bioaccumulation of these compounds in different organisms. In this review, we evaluate environmental factors (such as organic carbon, proteins, lipids, and dissolved cations) as well as PFAS characteristics (head group, chain-length, and concentration) that contribute to the significant variation seen in the literature of bioaccumulation metrics reported for organisms in aquatic ecosystems. Of the factors evaluated, it was found that PFAS concentration, dissolved organic matter, sediment organic matter, and biotransformation of precursor PFAS tended to significantly impact reported bioaccumulation metrics the most. Based on this review, it is highly suggested that future studies provide sufficient details of important environmental factors, specific organism traits/ behavior, and PFAS concentrations/compounds when reporting on bioaccumulation metrics to further fill data gaps and improve our understanding of PFAS in aquatic ecosystems.

Original languageEnglish
Article number153561
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume822
DOIs
StatePublished - May 20 2022
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was supported by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) grant ER19-1032 .

FundersFunder number
Strategic Environmental Research and Development ProgramER19-1032

    Keywords

    • Bioaccumulation
    • Biotransformation
    • Environmental pollution
    • Geochemical factors
    • Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
    • Trophic transfer

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