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PFAS in Largemouth bass across Rhode Island, USA: concentrations of pollutants and the social profile of visitors.
Citation:
Cashman, M., M. Hedgespeth, J. Serbst, N. Merrill, K. Mulvaney, J. Lake, Katherine Canfield, M. Cantwell, AND A. Robuck. PFAS in Largemouth bass across Rhode Island, USA: concentrations of pollutants and the social profile of visitors. SETAC North America Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, November 12 - 16, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
PFAS are a class of fluorinated chemicals with the potential to bioaccumulate in freshwater systems. This means that top-predator fish like LargemouthBass (LMB) may be susceptible to higher PFAS burdens compared to other fish in Rhode Island. For this study, we analyzed LMB tissue from 11 pondsand lakes across the state for PFAS. Average concentrations of PFAS at each pond were compared to previously calculated mercury data to look at spatialdifferences across the state. Commercial cellphone data was used for each waterbody to then determine the number of visitors to each waterbody. PairingPFAS data with demographic data can help identify populations that are more likely to come into contact with and consume contaminated fish.
Description:
Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) are high trophic-level piscivores commonly found in freshwater ponds and lakes within Rhode Island (RI), USA. The increased detection of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in freshwater environments has raised questions over PFAS concentrations in the RI Largemouth Bass population. This study utilized archived Largemouth Bass dorsal muscle tissue collected between 2005 and 2015 from 11 freshwater bodies across RI. Archived tissues were extracted and analyzed for 24 PFAS compounds using LC-MS/MS. Six compounds were consistently detected including long-chain perfluoro carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). ∑PFAS ranged from 1-323 ng/g (x ?=41 ng/g) wet weight in muscle samples. Archived fish were previously analyzed for stable isotopes (δ15N) and mercury (Hg). No correlation was determined between ∑PFAS and Hg, but fish exhibited increasing PFOS concentrations with increasing δ15N values. Largemouth Bass are a popular wild game fish consumed by some humans, leading to the potential for increased PFAS dietary exposure. Linking PFAS concentrations to waterbody visitors' demographic data can help identify populations that are more likely to consume contaminated fish. The demographics of visitors to each waterbody were estimated to better understand the populations visiting each site. Commercial cellphone location data was used to infer the demographics of the visitors to these waterbodies by their home census block groups. These data can help refine future studies of fish consumption advisories and identify populations with potentially higher PFAS dietary exposure from freshwater fish.
URLs/Downloads:
https://www.setac.org/discover-events/global-meetings/setac-north-america-44th-annual-meeting/general-info/important-dates.html