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Evaluation of published bioaccumulation data for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances across aquatic species
Citation:
Burkhard, L. AND C. Elonen. Evaluation of published bioaccumulation data for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances across aquatic species. SETAC North America, Toronto, ON, CANADA, November 03 - 07, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
The scientific literature has thousands of reports on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A literature search for bioaccumulation information for PFAS compounds has been done, and the reported bioconcentration factors (BCFs), bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs), biomagnification factors (BMFs), and trophic magnification factors (TMFs) have been assembled and evaluated for quality. The assembled data after evaluation will enable gaps and limitations in bioaccumulation information to be identified. With this information, research programs can focus on the identified gaps and limitations for the PFAS class of chemicals.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals of concern across the globe, and some of the PFAS chemicals are known to be bioaccumulative in aquatic and avian species. A literature search for bioaccumulation information for PFAS compounds has been done, and the reported bioconcentration factors (BCFs), bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs), biomagnification factors (BMFs), and trophic magnification factors (TMFs) have been assembled and evaluated for quality. The quality evaluation involved assigning a low, medium, or high-quality ranking to the studies based upon criteria such as “Were the measurements for BCFs performed according the OECD 305 protocol?”, “Were uptake and elimination rates measured?”, “Were adequate numbers of field samples collected to obtain representative samples for biota and water phases?”, and “Were field samples co-located in space and time?” From this dataset, we will present information on the aquatic species with measured bioaccumulation metrics and on chemical subgroups within the PFAS universe with measured bioaccumulation data. From these data, we will identify gaps and limitations in bioaccumulation information for PFAS chemicals and develop some initial estimates on the variability of BCFs and BAFs sorted by organism trophic level.