Levels and trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the Arctic environment – An update

Muir, Derek C. G.; Bossi, Rossana; Carlsson, Pernilla; Evans, Marlene S.; Silva, A De; Halsall, Crispin J.; Rauert, Cassandra; Herzke, Dorte; Hung, Hayley; Letcher, Robert J.; Rigét, Frank; Roos, Anna

doi:10.1016/j.emcon.2019.06.002

Cited by 139 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…Biological time series data for specific ecosystems suggest variable temporal changes in PFAS across compounds and ecosystems. In the Arctic, there are sustained or increasing (post‐2010) PFAA levels in some wildlife (Muir et al 2019). Following the phaseout of the parent chemical to PFOS and its precursors circa 2000 to 2002, several studies have noted rapid declines in FOSA, an atmospheric precursor to PFOS that is biotransformed by most mammals, but less consistent declines or even increases in PFOS (Smithwick et al 2006; Ahrens et al 2009a; Dassuncao et al 2017; Sun et al 2019; Schultes et al 2020).…”

Section: Current Understanding Of Pfas Exposure In Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

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PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding

Silva

Armitage

Bruton

et al. 2021

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

390

225

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We synthesize current understanding of the magnitudes and methods for assessing human and wildlife exposures to poly‐ and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Most human exposure assessments have focused on 2 to 5 legacy PFAS, and wildlife assessments are typically limited to targeted PFAS (up to ~30 substances). However, shifts in chemical production are occurring rapidly, and targeted methods for detecting PFAS have not kept pace with these changes. Total fluorine measurements complemented by suspect screening using high‐resolution mass spectrometry are thus emerging as essential tools for PFAS exposure assessment. Such methods enable researchers to better understand contributions from precursor compounds that degrade into terminal perfluoroalkyl acids. Available data suggest that diet is the major human exposure pathway for some PFAS, but there is large variability across populations and PFAS compounds. Additional data on total fluorine in exposure media and the fraction of unidentified organofluorine are needed. Drinking water has been established as the major exposure source in contaminated communities. As water supplies are remediated, for the general population, exposures from dust, personal care products, indoor environments, and other sources may be more important. A major challenge for exposure assessments is the lack of statistically representative population surveys. For wildlife, bioaccumulation processes differ substantially between PFAS and neutral lipophilic organic compounds, prompting a reevaluation of traditional bioaccumulation metrics. There is evidence that both phospholipids and proteins are important for the tissue partitioning and accumulation of PFAS. New mechanistic models for PFAS bioaccumulation are being developed that will assist in wildlife risk evaluations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:631–657. © 2020 SETAC

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Section: Current Understanding Of Pfas Exposure In Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Current Understanding Of Pfas Exposure In Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding

Silva

Armitage

Bruton

et al. 2021

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

390

225

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…PFAS are a chemical family of compounds that have been produced since late 1940s [30]. They are found nowadays worldwide; they have been detected in oceans, across continents and in remote parts of the globe [31] including the North and South Pole [32][33][34][35][36][37][38], with several ecosystems affected in the USA, China, Africa, and Europe [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Their presence has been recorded in several different matrices, from the aquatic system to flora and fauna [48].…”

Section: Pfas and Their Distribution In The Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

PFAS Environmental Pollution and Antioxidant Responses: An Overview of the Impact on Human Field

Bonato

Corrà

Belli̇o

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Due to their unique properties, perfluorinated substances (PFAS) are widely used in multiple industrial and commercial applications, but they are toxic for animals, humans included. This review presents some available data on the PFAS environmental distribution in the world, and in particular in Europe and in the Veneto region of Italy, where it has become a serious problem for human health. The consumption of contaminated food and drinking water is considered one of the major source of exposure for humans. Worldwide epidemiological studies report the negative effects that PFAS have on human health, due to environmental pollution, including infertility, steroid hormone perturbation, thyroid, liver and kidney disorders, and metabolic disfunctions. In vitro and in vivo researches correlated PFAS exposure to oxidative stress effects (in mammals as well as in other vertebrates of human interest), produced by a PFAS-induced increase of reactive oxygen species formation. The cellular antioxidant defense system is activated by PFAS, but it is only partially able to avoid the oxidative damage to biomolecules.

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“…Perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (PFCAs, C x F 2x+1 COOH) are characterized by resistance to environmental degradation and potential adverse impacts on human and environmental health (Buck et al, 2011), each a hallmark of persistent organic pollutants. Widely used for the production of fluoropolymers and in surfactant and polymer products since the 1960s, PFCAs are accumulating in the global environment, including remote regions such as the Arctic (Muir et al, 2019). The fate and impact of PFCAs with carbon chain lengths ≥7 has been widely studied over the past two decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice Core Record of Persistent Short‐Chain Fluorinated Alkyl Acids: Evidence of the Impact From Global Environmental Regulations

Pickard

Criscitiello

Persaud

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Short chain perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (scPFCAs, C x F 2x+1 COOH, x ≤ 3) are persistent compounds formed from atmospheric oxidation of fluorotelomer compounds and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements introduced as a result of the Montreal Protocol. Understanding sources and impacts of scPFCAs has been limited by observational data. We report multidecadal depositional fluxes for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) from two Arctic ice cores. Fluxes of all three scPFCAs increase starting around 1990. Through comparison with chemical transport models and assessment of temporal trends, we observe the importance of CFC replacements in the increased deposition of TFA. Fluorotelomer degradation may contribute to the deposition of PFBA but is insignificant for TFA and PFPrA. Deposition of TFA is expected to increase as new CFC replacement compounds are phased in. This work demonstrates the increased environmental burden of persistent and potentially toxic scPFCAs as a result of global regulation.Plain Language Summary Measurements of persistent compounds were made in two Arctic ice cores. The multidecadal records allow us to better understand the sources and deposition of these chemicals to remote areas. We observed that amounts deposited to the Arctic increased with time starting around 1990. Our results suggest that global regulation and replacement of other environmentally harmful chemicals contributed to the increase of these compounds in the Arctic, illustrating that regulations can have important unanticipated consequences.

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Levels and trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the Arctic environment – An update

Cited by 139 publications

References 118 publications

PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding

PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding

PFAS Environmental Pollution and Antioxidant Responses: An Overview of the Impact on Human Field

Ice Core Record of Persistent Short‐Chain Fluorinated Alkyl Acids: Evidence of the Impact From Global Environmental Regulations

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