Citation:

Gust, K., J. Mylroie, A. Kimble, M. Wilbanks, C. Steward, K. Chapman, K. Jensen, A. Kennedy, P. Krupa, S. Waisner, Z. Pandelides, N. Garcia-Reyero, R. Erickson, G. Ankley, J. Conder, AND D. Moore. Survival, Growth, and Reproduction Responses in a Three-Generation Exposure of the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) to Perfluorooctane Sulfonate. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 43(1):115-131, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5770

Impact/Purpose:

This study was intended to address substantial differences among previous studies regarding the sensitivity of zebrafish to PFOS; by resolving these differences regulatory benchmarks can be more confidently set.

Description:

A prior multigenerational perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure investigation in zebrafish reported adverse effects at 0.734 µg/L, among the lowest aquatic effect levels for PFOS reported to date. The present three-generation PFOS exposure quantified survival, growth, reproduction, and vitellogenin (VTG; egg yolk protein) responses in zebrafish, incorporating experimental design and procedural improvements relative to the earlier study. Exposures targeting 0.1, 0.6, 3.2, 20, and 100 µg/L in parental (P) and first filial (F1) generations lasted for 180 days post fertilization (dpf) and the second filial generation (F2) through 16 dpf. Survival decreased significantly in P and F2 generation exposures, but not in F1, at the highest PFOS treatment (100 µg/L nominal, 94-205 µg/L, measured). Significant adverse effects on body weight and length were infrequent, of low magnitude, and occurred predominantly at the highest exposure treatment. Finally, PFOS had no significant effects on P or F1 egg production and survival or whole-body VTG levels in P or F1 male fish. Overall, the predominance and magnitude of adverse PFOS effects at <1 µg/L reported in prior research were largely nonrepeatable in the present study. In contrast, the present study indicated a threshold for ecologically relevant adverse effects in zebrafish at 117 µg/L (SE 8 µg/L, n = 10) for survival and 47 µg/L (SE 11 µg/L, n = 19) for all statistically significant negative effects observed.

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