Bioconcentration and Tissue Distribution of Perfluorinated Acids in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)

Abstract

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed simultaneously to a homologous series of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates and sulfonates in a flow-through system to determine compound-specific tissue distribution and bioconcentration parameters for perfluorinated acids (PFAs). In general, PFAs accumulated to the greatest extent in blood > kidney > liver > gall bladder. Carboxylates and sulfonates with perfluoroalkyl chain lengths shorter than seven and six carbons, respectively, could not be detected in most tissues and were considered to have insignificant bioconcentration factors (BCFs). For detectable PFAs, carcass BCFs increased with increasing length of the perfluoroalkyl chain, ranging from 4.0 to 23,000, based on wet weight concentrations. Carboxylate carcass BCFs increased by a factor of eight for each additional carbon in the perfluoroalkyl chain between 8 and 12 carbons, but this relationship deviated from linearity for the longest PFA tested, possibly because of decreased gill permeability. In general, half-lives (3.9-28 d) and uptake rates (0.053-1.700 L/kg/d) also increased with increasing length of the perfluoroalkyl chain in all tissues. Sulfonates had greater BCFs, half-lives, and rates of uptake than the corresponding carboxylate of equal perfluoroalkyl chain length, indicating that hydrophobicity, as predicted by the critical micelle concentration, is not the only determinant of PFA bioaccumulation potential and that the acid function must be considered.

Aquatic hazard, bioaccumulation and screening risk assessment for 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate

“…Yeung and Mabury (2013) investigated the bioconcentration of perfluorinated or polyfluorinated components in two commercially available firefighting foams. Their study consisted of an 11 d exposure phase followed by a 25 d depuration phase to mimic the study conducted by Martin et al (2003a). The aqueous concentration of the 6:2 FTSA in one of the foam mixtures was maintained at 1.5 ± 0.9 lg L À1 during the uptake phase of the study.…”

Unique Physicochemical Properties of Perfluorinated Compounds and Their Bioconcentration in Common Carp Cyprinus carpio L.

“…Martin et al (2003) reported similar BCFs of PFCs (C = 5 to 14) using rainbow trout; for example, PFDoA (BCF = 18,000), PFTA (BCF = 23,000), and PFOS (BCF = 1100). One possible source of the observed variability in BCFs between fish species is the metabolism and biotransformation of the chemicals in the fish (Arnot and Gobas 2006).…”

Perfluoroalkyl Compounds

“…Bioaccumulation studies of PFSAs (n ¼ 6 and 8) and PFCAs (n ¼ 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have been conducted by Martin et al [83,84] (Table 3.2). These studies indicated that dietary exposure to PFSAs and PFCAs did not result in biomagnification.…”