Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risks of PFAS

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 2738

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. ECOSPHERE, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
2. Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Interests: bioaccumulation; birds; mammals; invertebrates; ecotoxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large group of anthropogenic chemicals that are, or have been, used in various industrial and consumer applications. Decades of widespread global use, combined with the persistence and high mobility of many PFASs, has resulted in global contamination of the environment and wildlife. This has raised concerns about the ecological impacts of PFAS exposure. Despite multiple regulatory measures, the persistence of terminal PFAS products, their global presence, and ongoing usage result in wildlife being continuously exposed to these substances. The relative lack of toxicological data for most PFASs is an uncertain factor in ecological risk assessment (ERA).The goal of an ERA is to protect entire communities and ecosystems. Currently, ERAs have primarily focused on national monitoring assessments. There are very few globally established effect-based thresholds for the effects of PFASs on the environment, and most of the available thresholds are only for PFOS and PFOA in freshwater aquatic species. There are extensive toxicity data only for PFOS and PFOA, but almost nothing is known about the toxicity of all other PFASs and for many taxonomic groups. As data on the toxic potential of many PFASs are lacking, (sub-)lethal long-term effects, including for PFAS mixtures, cannot be ruled out.

For this Special Issue, I invite high-quality original research papers, short communications, and reviews focusing on the toxic effects of PFASs to non-human organisms and their related environmental risks. Research on a single PFAS, PFAS mixtures, and complex environmental samples are welcome. 

Dr. Thimo Groffen
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ecotoxicology
  • ecological risk assessment
  • PFAS
  • mixture toxicity
  • lethal effects
  • sublethal effects

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 2904 KiB  
Article
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Duluth, Minnesota Area: Exposure to and Biomarker Responses in Tree Swallows Relative to Known Fire-Fighting Foam Sources
by Christine M. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Matthew A. Etterson, Jonathan T. Haselman, Sandra Schultz, Natalie Karouna-Renier and Cole Matson
Toxics 2024, 12(9), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12090660 - 10 Sep 2024
Abstract
Tree swallow nest boxes were deployed at sites proximal to two putative aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) sources in the Duluth, MN area, as well as along the St. Louis River and a reference lake for comparative purposes in 2019, 2020 and 2021. [...] Read more.
Tree swallow nest boxes were deployed at sites proximal to two putative aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) sources in the Duluth, MN area, as well as along the St. Louis River and a reference lake for comparative purposes in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The two AFFF sites were the current Duluth Air National Guard Base (ANG) and the Lake Superior College Emergency Response Training Center. Between 13 and 40 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), depending on year, were detected and quantified in tree swallow egg, nestling carcasses, and stomach contents. Assessments were made of oxidative stress and ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase activity in liver tissue, thyroid hormone levels in plasma and thyroid glands, DNA damage in red blood cells, and two measures of immune response (haptoglobin-like activity and immunoglobulin) in plasma of the nestlings. Additionally, other contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, legacy organochlorine pesticides, and trace elements, were assessed at sites with no previous data. Total egg PFAS concentrations at the ANG site and north of that site were 30–40 times higher than at the reference lake, while nestling PFAS concentrations were 10–15 times higher. In contrast, the St. Louis River sites had slightly, but non-statistically significant, elevated egg and nestling PFAS concentrations relative to the reference lake (2–5 times higher). One PFAS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), was higher, as a proportion of total PFAS, at sites with a known AFFF source compared to the reference lake, as well as compared to sites along the St. Louis River with mainly urban and industrial sources of PFAS. The ratio of total carboxylates to total sulfonates also distinguished between PFAS sources. There were few to no differences in biomarker responses among sites, and no association with PFAS exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risks of PFAS)
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16 pages, 3751 KiB  
Article
Growth Hormones in Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.) and Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus L.) Are Associated with Accumulated Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances
by Thimo Groffen, Niels Kuijper, Sevgi Oden, Tim Willems, Lieven Bervoets and Els Prinsen
Toxics 2023, 11(11), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11110922 - 11 Nov 2023
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Abstract
In this study, we grew radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus L.) and broad beans (Vicia faba L.) in a greenhouse on soils spiked with a mixture of 15 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and investigated the association between accumulated ∑PFAS concentrations, [...] Read more.
In this study, we grew radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus L.) and broad beans (Vicia faba L.) in a greenhouse on soils spiked with a mixture of 15 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and investigated the association between accumulated ∑PFAS concentrations, growth, and hormone levels. Short-chained PFASs dominated aboveground tissues, whereas long-chained PFASs were most abundant in the plant roots. Our results showed that the presence or absence of exodermal Casparian strips, as well as the hydrophobicity and anion exchange capacities of PFASs, could explain the translocation of PFASs within plants. Significant associations found between accumulated PFAS concentrations and levels of gibberellins (GA1 and GA15), methionine, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) imply potential effects of PFASs on plant development and growth. This study provides the first evidence of associations between PFAS accumulation in plants and growth hormone levels, possibly leading to growth reduction of the apical dome and effects on the cell cycle in pericycle cells and methionine metabolism in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risks of PFAS)
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