Per- and Polyfluoroalkylsubstances (PFAS) and Their Toxicology as Evidenced Through Disease and Biomarkers

Increased Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) Toxicity and Accumulation Is Associated with Perturbed Prostaglandin Metabolism and Increased Organic Anion Transport Protein (OATP) Expression

“…Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are high-use, slow degrading chemicals used in coatings, paints, stain repellents, fire-fighting foams, and other industrial processes. Their resistance to degradation makes them pervasive and persistent “forever chemicals” [ 1 ]. For example, PFOS, a legacy PFAS, has a half-life of about 5.5 years in humans because it binds to lipid binding proteins with a high affinity for saturated fats due to PFOS’s similar structure to fatty acids, with the primary difference being its replacement of hydrogen with fluorine [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…For example, PFOS, a legacy PFAS, has a half-life of about 5.5 years in humans because it binds to lipid binding proteins with a high affinity for saturated fats due to PFOS’s similar structure to fatty acids, with the primary difference being its replacement of hydrogen with fluorine [ 2 , 3 ]. PFASs are measured in the serum of more than 98% of Americans [ 2 , 4 ], with food and water the primary sources of contamination [ 1 , 5 ]. Some common long chain fluorosurfactants such as PFOS and PFOA were phased out of production in the USA and Europe because of their long half-lives, with a few exemptions.…”

“…PFOS and other PFASs are associated with cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes, most likely because they effect energy metabolism through the mitochondria [ 1 ]. Recent analyses indicates that PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and several other PFASs are associated with increased liver toxicity biomarkers in blood, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hypercholesterolemia, and high LDL in humans [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Integrating Bioindicators and Biomarkers in Aquatic Ecotoxicology: An Overview

“…Furthermore, the environmental risk management approach requires that the cumulative effect of all impacting anthropogenic activities be considered at different levels of an organization [10,11]. The need to detect the biological effects of emerging pollutants even at low concentrations and in complex mixtures has increased the need for studies on the relationships between exposure to contaminants and alterations to various biochemical and cellular processes in organisms, in order to use them as biomarkers of exposure and early responses to different classes of new emerging contaminants [12][13][14][15][16]. Biomarker measurements in bioindicator organisms have become valuable tools for environmental monitoring from the perspective of surveillance, hazard assessment or documentation of the remediation of aquatic environments [12,17].…”