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Occurrence and bioaccumulation of legacy and novel PFAS in the Delaware River Estuary.
Citation:
Robuck, A. Occurrence and bioaccumulation of legacy and novel PFAS in the Delaware River Estuary. EPA National Fish Forum 2023, NA, RI, February 28 - March 09, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
With the phase-out of some legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), new PFAS have been introduced in consumer and industrial applications. Little is known about the occurrence or potential impacts of novel PFAS in the environment. Here, we evaluated both legacy and novel PFAS in surface waters and fish from the Delaware River. This region is home to historical and current PFAS producers and users. We identified novel PFPECAs in sampled matrices, variable with collection location and season. This work highlights the continuing evolution of PFAS occurrence, and highlights the importance of identifying novel PFAS in the environment. Identifying novel and legacy PFAS greatly increases our understanding of total PFAS in the environment
Description:
With the phase-out of some legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), new PFAS have been introduced in consumer and industrial applications. Little is known about the occurrence, bioaccumulation, or potential impacts of these novel chemistries. Here, we used high resolution mass spectrometry to evaluate legacy and novel PFAS in surface water, fish muscle, and fish liver from the Delaware River, USA. This region is home to historical and current PFAS producers and users. Samples were collected within the mainstem River and tributaries at sites located between Bristol, PA downstream to Elsinboro, NJ, spanning over 50 river miles. Targeted, suspect, and non-targeted analysis were conducted; features identified using suspect lists and non-targeted analysis were semi-quantified using surrogate normalization, or presented as raw abundances. We identified a series of ether-based novel PFAS in surface water and fish tissue from across the sampled area, with the highest abundances adjacent to and downstream from a suspected point source in southwest New Jersey. Some of the chlorinated and hydrogenated species within this series were previously identified in soil, groundwater, and local surface water; here, we present the first information establishing the presence of these and additional chlorinated, hydrogenated, and fluorinated congeners in the wider ambient aquatic ecosystem. In white perch liver, the novel Cl-PFPECAs appear significantly more bioaccumulative compared to PFOS and PFUnDA. This work highlights the continuing evolution of PFAS occurrence in the environment, and underscores the importance of non-targeted methods to screen for understudied PFAS in water and fish