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Using Zebrafish to Screen the Developmental Toxicity of a PFAS Chemical Library
Citation:
Britton, K., R. Judson, B. Hill, K. Jarema, B. Knapp, J. Olin, M. Lowery, AND S. Padilla. Using Zebrafish to Screen the Developmental Toxicity of a PFAS Chemical Library. North Carolina Society of Toxicology (NCSOT) Annual Meeting September 2023, Research Triangle Park, NC, September 14, 2023. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.24477244
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation to the North Carolina Society of Toxicology (NCSOT) Annual Meeting September 2023
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are compounds found in many consumer and industrial products. While there is evidence that some PFAS, notably perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), cause developmental toxicity in mammals, the vast majority of PFAS have not been studied regarding their developmental toxicity potential. Our goal was to use zebrafish data to fill this knowledge gap and paint a clearer picture of the overall pattern that many of these PFAS have on development in vertebrates. To assess whether PFAS cause developmental effects in vertebrates, we used a larval zebrafish, medium-throughput assay to conduct a dose-response study with 182 unique chemicals in the EPA PFAS chemical library. Embryos were collected at 0 days post fertilization (dpf) and exposed to either dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle, 0.4% v/v), or one of the PFAS (n=6 embryos/ chemical/ concentration; ≤ 100 µM, 8 concentrations per chemical). At 6 dpf, two independent observers, blinded to the treatment conditions, graded developmental landmarks (endpoints) for each larva (e.g., mortality, hatching, swim bladder inflation, edema, abnormal spine/tail, and cranial-facial abnormalities). Of the 182 PFAS tested, 53 (29%) produced developmental toxicity commonly seen as mortality, edema, or uninflated swim bladders. Interestingly, while PFOS was developmentally toxic to the zebrafish embryos with a benchmark concentration (BMC) of 7.5 µM, perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) was the most potent with a BMC of 0.26 µM, followed by ((perfluorooctyl)ethyl)phosphonic acid (BMC=0.58 µM), N-methylperfluorooctane sulfonamide (BMC = 0.70 µM) and perfluorohexane sulfonamide (BMC =1.45 µM). Therefore, both mammals and zebrafish have exhibited toxicity after developmental exposure to PFOS, but the developmental toxicity profile for these other sulfonamide-containing PFAS in mammals is largely unexplored. These observed effects in zebrafish may further inform the toxicity profile of these chemicals in mammals. This abstract does not reflect USEPA policy.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Using Zebrafish to Screen the Developmental Toxicity of a PFAS Chemical Library
KBRITTON_POSTER FOR NCSOT PFAS 9-11-23.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 586.021 KB, about PDF)