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Assessing the effects of dietary exposure to PFOS and PFHxS in mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus).
Citation:
Clark, B., Y. Rericha, D. Glinski, C. Christen, M. Francoeur, H. Schrader, L. Mills, W. Henderson, C. Lavelle, M. Cantwell, AND D. Nacci. Assessing the effects of dietary exposure to PFOS and PFHxS in mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus). PRIMO22, Nantes, FRANCE, May 26 - 29, 2024.
Impact/Purpose:
Development of models to classify per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and predict organismal and population effects of exposure requires specific chemical, molecular, and biological information. This presentation describes studies that will contribute to our understanding of the ecological risks associated with agency priority PFAS. Here we fed fish two legacy PFAS and assessed their survival, energy reserves, reproduction, and transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomic changes. The results demonstrate the value of integrating chemical, biological, and molecular techniques to assess the mechanisms and potential effects associated with PFAS exposures to wild fish populations. Ultimately these studies will contribute to the ability of managers and scientists to group PFAS by mechanisms and effects to aid in assessment of this numerous and diverse class of compounds.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of persistent contaminants associated with a variety of adverse effects and found in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. There is an urgent need for data to assess the ecological risk from the universe of PFAS. Therefore, we are working to characterize mechanisms of toxicity, categorize and prioritize compounds, and inform predictive models. Herein, we exposed an estuarine fish (Fundulus heteroclitus, mummichog) to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). Reproductively active fish were fed control or diet amended with PFOS (1 or 10 µg/g dw) or PFHxS (0.3, 3, or 30 µg/g dw). Weight, length, and reproduction were measured throughout, and sacrificial endpoints obtained for individuals at 7 days or termination of exposure (51 days). Tissues were weighed and archived for molecular and chemical analyses. Whole organism results suggest reduced energy storage in PFHxS- but not PFOS-exposed female fish and reduced reproductive activity in PFHxS and high dose PFOS exposures. Assessment of bioaccumulation and multi-omic responses (transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic) is ongoing; preliminary analyses show time- and dose-dependent changes in the hepatic metabolomic profile. These data support an integrated approach to identify mechanisms of toxic effects of PFAS in marine fish and will contribute to the development of pathways linking molecular perturbations to adverse biological outcomes to support extrapolation across compounds and species.
