Suspect and Nontarget Screening Revealed Class-Specific Temporal Trends (2000–2017) of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in St. Lawrence Beluga Whales

Abstract

The global use of >3000 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has given rise to chemical regulatory action. However, limited information exists regarding current and historical emissions for the majority of PFASs under currently implemented regulations. This study employed suspect and nontarget screening to examine the temporal trends of legacy and unregulated PFASs in liver of the endangered beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) population from the St. Lawrence Estuary in Canada collected from 2000 to 2017. A suite of 54 PFASs were tentatively identified, and were grouped into nine structurally distinct classes. Single-hydrogenated perfluoro carboxylic acids (H-PFCAs), single-hydrogenated sulfonamides (H-Sulfonamides), as well as other select sulfonamides were detected for the first time in wildlife. Greater concentrations of the majority of PFASs were determined in newborns and juveniles than in adults, suggesting effective placental and lactational transfer of PFASs. Legacy per-and polyfluoroalkyl acids and perfluorooctane sulfonamide in beluga whale liver were found to significantly decrease in concentration between 2000 and 2017, while unregulated short-chain PFAS alternatives, H-PFCAs, and odd-chain FTCAs were found to increase over time. The implementation of suspect and nontarget screening revealed class-specific temporal trends of PFASs in SLE beluga whales, and supported continuous emissions of unregulated PFASs into the environment.

A Bad Start in Life? Maternal Transfer of Legacy and Emerging Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances to Eggs in an Arctic Seabird

“…80 It has been recently detected in human tissues and wildlife. 46,[81][82][83][84][85][86][87] In eggs of osprey (Pandion haliaetus), tawny owl (Strix aluco) and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), this compound ranged from <0.24 (LOD) to 2.7 ng g -1 much higher concentrations than those found in kittiwake eggs reported here. 78 Literature regarding fluorotelomer toxicity is scarce and even non-existent for avian species, but some were found to be potentially more toxic than longchain PFAS.…”

A Roadmap to the Structure-Related Metabolism Pathways of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Early Life Stages of Zebrafish ( Danio rerio )

“…In the case of PFAS metabolites where authentic standards were unavailable, the confidence level fell to levels 2 or 3, in which molecular ions and fragmentation were matched to predicted fragmentation pathways (i.e., C n F 2n − 1 ). For instance, for level 2, the structures were supported by diagnostic fragments, for example, ½M-CO 2 -HF − for fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (Barrett et al 2021). For level 3, the structures were supported by MS/MS spectra with less informative fragments, for example, ½C n F 2n+1 − for perfluorooctane sulfonamide quaternary ammonium salt (PFOSAmS) metabolites.…”

A food web bioaccumulation model for the accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fish: how important is renal elimination?

“…While PFAS production has increasingly shifted towards shorter-chained compounds, 1,2,68 field studies show that these more bioaccumulative compounds continue to dominate measurable PFAS body burdens, due to their extensive historical use, environmental persistence, and comparatively greater bioaccumulative potential. 72,73…”