Poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) in water, sediment and fish muscle tissue from Lake Tana, Ethiopia and implications for human exposure

Ahrens, Lutz; Gashaw, Habiba; Sjöholm, Margareta; Gebrehiwot, Solomon Gebreyohannis; Getahun, Abebe; Derbe, Ermias; Bishop, Kevin; Åkerblom, Staffan

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.007

Cited by 70 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Of some fish species in the lake, mercury levels exceed internationally accepted safe levels for consumption [67]. Ahrens et al [68] also reported high concentration of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates such as PFCAs in water, sediment and fish of Lake Tana.…”

Section: State Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effect is worse for the fishers whose day-to-day activity is in the lake, and to many people particularly children who are swimming in the lake. Furthermore, mercury levels higher than the internationally accepted safe levels for consumption [67] and high concentration of the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates [68] in some fish species are a great health concern for fish consumers.…”

Section: Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses Framework to Support the Sustainability of Fish and Fisheries in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

et al. 2018

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Lake Tana, Ethiopia's largest lake, has a remarkable and conservation-worthy assemblage of fish species, requiring fisheries management for sustainable exploitation. However, due to anthropogenic impacts, many of these fish species are threatened. Hence, an improved management of these resources is recommended. To allow a more sustainable exploitation of natural resources, a better understanding of the cause-effect relationships between anthropogenic impacts and environmental components is fundamental. The Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR) framework is a useful tool to describe these links in a meaningful way to managers and policy makers. Despite its potential, application of DPSIR is virtually lacking in developing countries. This paper assessed the potential of the DPSIR framework and used it to comprehensively describe the available knowledge and management needs in the lake catchment. Rapid population growth and the economic transformation are the main driving forces leading to various pressures such as water quality and wetlands degradation as well as declining fish community, which is detrimental to the socio-economic state and health of the local inhabitants. As feedback to the driving forces, pressures, state changes and impacts, optimal multi-level responses are developed. This study aims at providing policy makers a better understanding of the lake catchment in order to bridge the gap between science and decision-making.

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Section: State Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses Framework to Support the Sustainability of Fish and Fisheries in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

et al. 2018

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“…Although our review did not find research articles evaluating PFAS and health outcomes in African populations, there has been increasing attention to PFAS exposure, including studies measuring PFAS in non-humans [e.g. crocodiles, fish (Ahrens et al, 2016)]. One study evaluated PFAS in maternal serum and cord blood in South Africa (Hanssen et al, 2010) but did not evaluate specific health endpoints in the study population where PFAS was measured.…”

Section: Pfasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One study evaluated PFAS in maternal serum and cord blood in South Africa (Hanssen et al, 2010) but did not evaluate specific health endpoints in the study population where PFAS was measured. Ahrens et al (2016) described a risk assessment strategy for evaluating potential human health outcomes related to the PFAS levels in different compartments of Ethiopia's largest lake, Lake Tana. Their findings do not indicate any elevated health risks, but the authors note the potential for harmful effects with increasing levels over time.…”

Section: Pfasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Across the reviewed studies, perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were measured in water, sediment, and fish in Lake Tana, Ethiopia (Ahrens et al, 2016), in tilapia in South Africa (Bangma et al, 2017), and in wastewater and sludge from selected wastewater treatment plants in Kenya (Chirikona et al, 2015). Another study measured PFCs in maternal serum and cord blood of South African women-infant pairs.…”

Section: Exposures Measuredmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Health Research in Africa: Important Progress and Promising Opportunities

Joubert

Mantooth²,

McAllister

2020

Front. Genet.

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The World Health Organization in 2016 estimated that over 20% of the global disease burden and deaths were attributed to modifiable environmental factors. However, data clearly characterizing the impact of environmental exposures and health endpoints in African populations is limited. To describe recent progress and identify important research gaps, we reviewed literature on environmental health research in African populations over the last decade, as well as research incorporating both genomic and environmental factors. We queried PubMed for peer-reviewed research articles, reviews, or books examining environmental exposures and health outcomes in human populations in Africa. Searches utilized medical subheading (MeSH) terms for environmental exposure categories listed in the March 2018 US National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, which includes chemicals with worldwide distributions. Our search strategy retrieved 540 relevant publications, with studies evaluating health impacts of ambient air pollution (n=105), indoor air pollution (n = 166), heavy metals (n = 130), pesticides (n = 95), dietary mold (n = 61), indoor mold (n = 9), per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs, n = 0), electronic waste (n = 9), environmental phenols (n = 4), flame retardants (n = 8), and phthalates (n = 3), where publications could belong to more than one exposure category. Only 23 publications characterized both environmental and genomic risk factors. Cardiovascular and respiratory health endpoints impacted by air pollution were comparable to observations in other countries. Air pollution exposures unique to Africa and some other resource limited settings were dust and specific occupational exposures. Literature describing harmful health effects of metals, pesticides, and dietary mold represented a context unique to Africa. Studies of exposures to phthalates, PFASs, phenols, and flame retardants were very limited. These results underscore the need for further focus on current and emerging environmental and chemical health risks as well as better integration of genomic and environmental factors in African research studies. Environmental exposures with distinct routes of exposure, unique co-exposures and co-morbidities, combined with the extensive genomic diversity in Africa may lead to the identification of novel mechanisms underlying complex disease and promising potential for translation to global public health.

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Sustainable per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances contaminated soil remediation: Evaluating the potential of thermal desorption

Rassaei

2023

Env Prog and Sustain Energy

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Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been extensively utilized in various industries. These artificial compounds pose significant environmental and health concerns as they exhibit persistence in soil over long periods and can migrate through soil and groundwater. One potential method for addressing PFASs toxicity is thermal desorption, although its efficacy in calcareous soil remains understudied. In this experimental investigation, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal desorption in removing PFASs from two types of calcareous soil: spiked clay and sandy clay loam soil. PFASs were spiked into soil samples, which were subsequently freeze‐dried and homogenized. The samples underwent thermal desorption, followed by extraction and analysis of remaining PFASs concentrations using UPLC MS/MS. The study examined the impact of different temperatures, times, and soil types on PFASs removal. Results revealed that the removal fraction of PFASs increased with higher temperatures, although the specific effect varied depending on the soil type and the characteristics of the PFASs. Optimal PFASs removal occurred within the temperature range of 350 to 450°C, with a treatment time of 40 to 60 min. ANOVA analysis indicated a significant interaction between temperature and time, highlighting the influence of temperature on PFASs desorption. The correlation coefficient demonstrated a negative relationship between temperature and PFASs removal from the soil sample. This study successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of thermal desorption in removing PFASs from calcareous soils. The findings contribute to the development of effective strategies for mitigating the environmental and health risks associated with PFASs contamination in soil.

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Poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) in water, sediment and fish muscle tissue from Lake Tana, Ethiopia and implications for human exposure

Cited by 70 publications

References 24 publications

A Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses Framework to Support the Sustainability of Fish and Fisheries in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

A Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses Framework to Support the Sustainability of Fish and Fisheries in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

Environmental Health Research in Africa: Important Progress and Promising Opportunities

Sustainable per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances contaminated soil remediation: Evaluating the potential of thermal desorption

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