Dietary Exposure of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) to Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and a Legacy Aqueous Film‐Forming Foam (AFFF) Containing PFOS: Effects on Reproduction and Chick Survivability and Growth

Abstract

Effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and a legacy aqueous film‐forming foam (AFFF) containing 91% PFOS (AFFF PFOS) on reproduction, chick survivability, and growth of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were determined. Day‐old Japanese quail were administered PFOS or AFFF PFOS at 6 dietary concentrations ranging from 0 to 21 mg kg–1 feed for a total of 20 wk. At the age of 4 wk, 16 male/female pairs per treatment were assigned to cages, and egg laying was induced by the age of 10 wk. Eggs were collected daily, set weekly, and incubated for 18 d for the following 10 wk. Hatchlings were fed uncontaminated feed for 2 wk and euthanized to collect blood and liver. After 10 wk of egg collection, adults were euthanized to collect blood, liver, and kidneys. Significantly increased myofiber numbers in the liver and glomerular sclerosis in the kidneys of adults indicated damage at greater doses. Perfluorooctane sulfonate or AFFF PFOS did not significantly affect egg production; however, hatchability was decreased at the highest PFOS dose. The no‐observed‐adverse‐effect levels for chick survivability, considered the critical effect, were 4.1 mg PFOS kg feed–1 (0.55 mg kg body wt–1 d–1) and 5.0 mg AFFF PFOS kg feed–1 (0.66 mg kg body wt−1 d–1), resulting in calculated average toxicity reference values of 0.25 mg kg feed–1 and 0.034 mg kg body weight–1 d–1. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2521–2537. © 2020 SETAC

Assessing the Ecological Risks of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Current State‐of‐the Science and a Proposed Path Forward

“…In the 10‐mg PFOS/kg treatments, no significant effects were noted in mallard adults and their offspring exposed to 1.5 mg PFOS/kg body weight/d whereas in northern bobwhites, significant effects on adult female body weight and reproduction were associated with doses of 0.77 mg/kg body weight/d. Adverse reproductive effects in Japanese quail were observed in adults exposed to 2.1 mg PFOS/kg feed (~0.28 mg/kg body wt/d; Bursian and Link 2018). In that study, effects on adult female and 7‐d‐old chick body weights were observed in birds treated with 4.0 mg PFOS/kg (~0.55 mg/kg body wt/d) whereas no effects were noted in the 2.1‐mg PFOS/kg feed treatment group.…”

“…Acute dietary studies have shown that the toxicity of PFAS is influenced by the carbon chain length and the functional head group (Newsted et al 2006, 2008; Bursian et al 2019). Although data are limited, the ranking of toxic potency of PFAS in birds agrees with rodent studies in which sulfonates were found to be more toxic than carboxylates for similar fluorocarbon‐chain lengths, and 8‐carbon chain length compounds were more toxic than shorter chain PFAS (Supplemental Data, Table SI‐3.15).…”

“…To date, chronic reproduction studies have been conducted with 3 avian species, mallards, northern bobwhite, and Japanese quail with PFOS, PFBS, PFHxS, and a PFOS‐based AFFF (Newsted et al 2006, 2007; Bursian et al 2019; Supplemental Data, Table SI‐3.16). In mallards and northern bobwhites exposed to 50 and 100 mg PFOS/kg, overt toxicity (lethality) was observed within 5 wk from the onset of exposure whereas no effects on survival and/or morbidity were observed in a 10‐mg PFOS/kg treatment (Newsted et al 2007).…”

Occurrence of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination of Food Sources and Aquaculture Organisms Used in Aquatic Laboratory Experiments

“…Extraction methods were adapted from Bursian et al (2021) and Powley et al (2008). Each fish food was homogenized using a mortar and pestle before 2 g was weighed into a 15-ml polypropylene centrifuge tube.…”

Evaluation of the Chronic Reproductive Toxicity of a Fluorine‐Free Firefighting Foam and a Short‐Chain Fluorinated Foam to Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus)

“…Only a few chronic toxicity studies have been published that characterize avian toxicity of neat PFAS or simple PFAS mixtures (Dennis et al, 2020(Dennis et al, , 2021Newsted et al, 2007) or a longchain fluorine-based firefighting foam via feed (Bursian et al, 2021). The objectives of the present study were to evaluate chronic toxicity of a fluorine-free firefighting foam (National Foam Avio Green KHC) and a short-chain fluorinebased foam (Buckeye Platinum Plus C6) to northern bobwhite quail following chronic oral exposure via drinking water.…”