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Developmental toxicity across a suite of structurally diverse per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in mummichog (Atlantic killifish)
Citation:
Rericha, Y., T. Burke, C. Heyder, A. Champagne, K. Wells, H. Schrader, M. Francoeur, L. Mills, N. McNabb, D. Nacci, AND B. Clark. Developmental toxicity across a suite of structurally diverse per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in mummichog (Atlantic killifish). Northeast Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting 2023, Shrewsbury, MA, October 20, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are frequently detected in the environment, highly persistent, and have been associated with adverse health effects in many species, but toxicity data for marine and estuarine fish is severely lacking. This presentation describes the assessment of developmental toxicity of 11 PFAS representing a variety of structural features (i.e., functional head groups and fluorinated chain lengths) in mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), an ecologically important estuarine fish. Embryos were aqueously exposed to PFAS during early developmental stages and evaluated for a suite of developmental endpoints including sublethal morphological and behavioral effects. Findings suggest trends in developmental toxicity in mummichogs associated with structural features, particularly functional head group. Ultimately, this study contributes to characterization of PFAS toxicity, facilitates prioritization of compounds for investigations of the mechanistic pathways underlying toxicity, and informs efforts to understand ecological impacts of PFAS.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly at the forefront of environmental concern. Despite frequent detection in environmental media, the persistent nature of many PFAS, and growing evidence demonstrating adverse health effects in many species, toxicity data for marine and estuarine fish is severely lacking. A better understanding of organismal effects is needed to adequately assess PFAS ecological hazards and ultimately to predict population-level effects. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted developmental toxicity assessments for a structurally diverse suite of priority PFAS in mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus, Atlantic killifish). Mummichogs are non-migratory, ecologically important estuarine fish, amenable to the laboratory and evaluating morphological and behavioral endpoints. Embryos were exposed to 11 PFAS spanning carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, fluorotelomer sulfonic acid, and sulfonamide functional head group categories, with fluorinated chain lengths ranging from 5-8. Aqueous 6-day exposures (0, 1, 10, or 100 µM) were began at 1 day post fertilization (dpf), and developmental endpoints including morphology, heart rate, growth, swim bladder development, and light/dark behavior were assessed between 10-30 dpf. Within tested concentrations, only sulfonamide PFAS adversely affected overall survival; 100 µM perfluorohexane sulfonamide (FHxSA) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) exposures caused 79% and 100% mortality, respectively, with <20% in controls. FHxSA also induced higher incidence of sublethal effects (i.e., abnormal body size and minor cardiovascular effects). Other PFAS that elicited concentration-dependent abnormal phenotypes were perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). FHxSA, FOSA, PFHxA, PFOA and several other PFAS also induced some abnormal light/dark behavior. Preliminary analysis suggests that the functional head group of PFAS compounds significantly impacts overt toxicity in mummichog, though PFAS across structural categories and chain lengths alter behavior. Ongoing analysis of more subtle, sublethal endpoints will further contribute to our understanding of PFAS bioactivity, facilitate prioritization for ‘omics investigations, and inform population scale predictions of ecological impacts.