Uptake of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Fish, Mussel, and Passive Samplers in Mobile-Laboratory Exposures Using Groundwater from a Contamination Plume at a Historical Fire Training Area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06500
• Publication Date: 2023-03-27T17:36:50Z
• Authors: Larry B. Barber; Heidi M. Pickard; David A. Alvarez; Jitka Becanova; Steffanie H. Keefe; Denis R. LeBlanc; Rainer Lohmann; Jeffery A. Steevens; Alan M. Vajda
• Keywords: Bioconcentration

Aqueous film-forming foams historically were used during fire training activities on Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and created an extensive per- polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) groundwater contamination plume. The potential for PFAS bioconcentration from exposure to the contaminated groundwater, which discharges surface water bodies, was assessed with mobile-laboratory experiments using plume a nearby reference location. on-site continuous-flow 21-day exposures male female fathead minnows, freshwater mussels, polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS), polyethylene tube (PETS) evaluate biotic abiotic uptake. composition of PFAS-contaminated complex 9 detected in 17 groundwater. summed concentrations ranged 120 140 ng L–1 6100 15,000 Biotic concentration factors (CFb) individual species, sex, source, compound-specific 2.9 1000 L kg–1 whole-body fish exposed 21 days. mussel CFb generally increased increasing fluorocarbon chain length greater sulfonates than carboxylates. exception perfluorohexane sulfonate, deviated linear trend had 10-fold difference between sites, possibly because biotransformation precursors such as sulfonamide. Uptake most over time, whereas bilinear uptake indicated by initial increase tissue followed decrease. less mussels (maximum = 200) fish, also bilinear. Although CFb, values POCIS PETS, passive useful assessing that potentially bioconcentrate but are present at below method quantitation limits water. Passive accumulate short-chain not bioconcentrated.