Dataset Information

Chemical Characterization of a Legacy Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Sample and Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Drinking water contamination related to the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been documented at hundreds of military bases, airports, and firefighter training facilities. AFFF has historically contained high levels of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose serious health concerns. However, the composition and toxicity of legacy AFFF mixtures are unknown, presenting great uncertainties in risk assessment and affected communities. OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to determine the fluorinated and nonfluorinated chemical composition of a legacy AFFF sample and its toxicity in zebrafish embryos. METHODS:A sample of legacy AFFF (3% application formulation, manufactured before 2001) was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was used to identify PFAS and nonfluorinated compounds, and a commercial laboratory measured 24 PFAS by a modified U.S. EPA Method 537.1. AFFF toxicity was assessed in zebrafish embryos in comparison with four major constituents: perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS); sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS); and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (TDS). End points included LC50 values, and sublethal effects on growth, yolk utilization, and pancreas and liver development. RESULTS:We identified more than 100 PFAS. Of the PFAS detected, PFOS was measured at the highest concentration (9,410mg/L) followed by PFHxS (1,500mg/L). Fourteen nonfluorinated compounds were identified with dodecyl sulfate and tetradecyl sulfate the most abundant at 547.8 and 496.4mg/L, respectively. An LC50 of 7.41×10-4% AFFF was calculated, representing a dilution of the 3% formulation. TDS was the most toxic of the constituents tested but could not predict the AFFF phenotype in larval zebrafish. PFOS exposure recapitulated the reduction in length but could not predict effects on development of the liver, which was the tissue most sensitive to AFFF. DISCUSSION:To our knowledge, this research is the first characterization of the chemical composition and toxicity of legacy AFFF, which has important implications for regulatory toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6470.

SUBMITTER: Annunziato KM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7510953 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Chemical Characterization of a Legacy Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Sample and Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).

Annunziato Kate M KM Doherty Jeffery J Lee Jonghwa J Clark John M JM Liang Wenle W Clark Christopher W CW Nguyen Malina M Roy Monika A MA Timme-Laragy Alicia R AR

Environmental health perspectives 20200923 9

<h4>Background</h4>Drinking water contamination related to the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been documented at hundreds of military bases, airports, and firefighter training facilities. AFFF has historically contained high levels of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose serious health concerns. However, the composition and toxicity of legacy AFFF mixtures are unknown, presenting great uncertainties in risk assessment and affected communities.<h4>Objecti ...[more]

PMID: 32966100

Similar Datasets

Project description:The deployment of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) used for firefighting during emergencies and training often releases per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. In October 2018, first responders in Providence, RI, USA applied an AFFF during a fuel spill. Due to the proximity of the incident to the upper reaches of Narragansett Bay (NB), an unknown quantity of gasoline and AFFF entered the estuary via surface runoff and stormwater drains. Water samples near the spill were collected approximately 15 h after the incident and analyzed for 24 PFAS. Minor increases in measured PFAS concentrations were observed relative to pre- and post-spill samples at monitoring sites near the incident, except 6:2-fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2-FTS) that peaked post-spill (max 311 ng/L). After performing the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay on water samples and the AFFF concentrate, significant increases in perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were observed. One compound, 6:2 fluorotelomer mercaptoalkylamido sulfonate (6:2-FTSAS), was identified as a major component of the AFFF used. Peak areas of 6:2-FTSAS and the degradation product 6:2-FTSAS-sulfoxide corresponded to observed increases in the TOP assay results and were useful as tracers of AFFF in surrounding waters. Elevated levels of PFAS at the time of sampling were limited to a confined area of the Providence River due to river flow and tidal action. Observed concentrations were also compared to hydrodynamic model results, and results confirmed rapid dissipation of AFFF components with distance from the spill. However, modeled results did not capture possible secondary releases of AFFF from local municipal stormwater and sewer infrastructure, as observational data suggest. The multiple lines of evidence of PFAS present in surface waters permitted a better assessment of the potential environmental impacts from products such as AFFF for which the chemical composition is largely unknown.

Project description:Populations of plants and animals, including humans, living in close proximity to abandoned uranium mine sites are vulnerable to uranium exposure through drainage into nearby waterways, soil accumulation, and blowing dust from surface soils. Little is known about how the environmental impact of uranium exposure alters the health of human populations in proximity to mine sites, so we used developmental zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate uranium toxicity. Fish are a sensitive target for modeling uranium toxicity, and previous studies report altered reproductive capacity, enhanced DNA damage, and gene expression changes in fish exposed to uranium. In our study, dechorionated zebrafish embryos were exposed to a concentration range of uranyl acetate (UA) from 0 to 3000 μg/L for body burden measurements and developmental toxicity assessments. Uranium was taken up in a concentration-dependent manner by 48 and 120 h post fertilization (hpf)-zebrafish without evidence of bioaccumulation. Exposure to UA was not associated with teratogenic outcomes or 24 hpf behavioral effects, but larvae at 120 hpf exhibited a significant hypoactive photomotor response associated with exposure to 3 μg/L UA which suggested potential neurotoxicity. To our knowledge, this is the first time that uranium has been associated with behavioral effects in an aquatic organism. These results were compared to potential metal co-contaminants using the same exposure paradigm. Similar to uranium exposure, lead, cadmium, and iron significantly altered neurobehavioral outcomes in 120-hpf zebrafish without inducing significant teratogenicity. Our study informs concerns about the potential impacts of developmental exposure to uranium on childhood neurobehavioral outcomes. This work also sets the stage for future, environmentally relevant metal mixture studies. Summary Uranium exposure to developing zebrafish causes hypoactive larval swimming behavior similar to the effect of other commonly occurring metals in uranium mine sites. This is the first time that uranium exposure has been associated with altered neurobehavioral effects in any aquatic organism.

Dataset Information

Chemical Characterization of a Legacy Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Sample and Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Publications

Chemical Characterization of a Legacy Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Sample and Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets