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Developmental Toxicity Assessment of a Library of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos/Larvae
Citation:
Britton, K., D. Korest, R. Judson, K. Jarema, K. Coutros, B. Wetmore, B. Hill, D. Hunter, J. Olin, AND S. Padilla. Developmental Toxicity Assessment of a Library of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos/Larvae. American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) virtual annual meeting, Durham, North Carolina, October 20 - 23, 2020. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.13197536
Impact/Purpose:
Poster presented to the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) virtual annual meeting October 2020. Currently, there are 1223 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances chemicals included in the Toxic Substances Control Act inventory. There is a need to understand the structure/activity of these chemicals. To address this issue, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading an effort to define the toxic profile of a structurally representative group of PFAS chemicals to understand the intersection of their toxicity and structure. To determine the probability of PFAS chemicals causing adverse developmental effects, we tested 123 of the EPA PFAS chemical library using a zebrafish larval developmental assay. The control embryos showed less than 3% with abnormalities while there were 44 chemicals (36%) that produced developmental abnormalities. These preliminary data indicate that some of these PFAS chemicals may be potential vertebrate developmental toxicants.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals found in many consumer and industrial products. Currently, there are ~1223 PFAS chemicals included in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory for use in the US, 602 of which are currently active with an unknown number of degradation products and manufacturing byproducts. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading an effort to define the toxic profile of a structurally representative group of PFAS chemicals to understand the intersection of their toxicity and structure. To determine the probability of PFAS chemicals causing adverse developmental effects, we tested 123 of the EPA PFAS chemical library using a zebrafish developmental assay. Embryos were collected on the day of fertilization (day 0 post fertilization; 0 dpf) and dosed with either dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle), or one of the PFAS chemicals (n=6/chemical; ≤ 100µM). The experimental plates were sealed with AlumaSeal II™ to prevent volatilization of PFAS. On 6 dpf each larva was assessed by two independent, blinded observers who graded developmental landmarks (endpoints): e.g., mortality, hatching, swim bladder inflation, edema, abnormal spine/tail, cranial-facial abnormalities, and small size. The results showed that 44 chemicals (36%) produced developmental abnormalities. In general, the higher molecular weight chemicals with more fluorines were more likely to cause developmental effects, and chemicals in the sulfonamide category were also more likely to be developmentally toxic. These preliminary data indicate that some of these PFAS chemicals may be potential vertebrate developmental toxicants. This abstract may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Developmental Toxicity Assessment of a Library of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos/Larvae
BRITTON PFAS ASCCT MEETING_V8.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 1449.072 KB, about PDF)