Bioconcentration of perfluoroalkyl substances by Chironomus plumosus larvae in water with different types of dissolved organic matters. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wen, Wu; Xia, Xinghui; Chen, Xi; Wang, Haotian; Zhu, Baotong; Li, Husheng; Li, Yang
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 213(2016)
• Page Start: 299
• Page End: 307
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) -- Bioconcentration -- Dissolved organic matters (DOM) -- Proteins -- Bioavailability; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.02.018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: The effects of four types of dissolved organic matters (DOM) on the bioconcentration of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chironomus plumosus larvae have been studied. The PFASs included perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA). The DOM included humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), tannic acid (TA), and a protein, peptone (PEP), and their concentrations ranged from 0 to 50 mg L −1 . The results showed that, upon bioconcentration equilibrium, the body burdens of longer perfluoroalkyl chain PFASs (PFOS, PFDA, PFUnA and PFDoA) decreased with PEP and HA concentrations while increased with FA and TA concentrations. When FA and TA concentrations increased from 0 to 50 mg L −1, body burdens of these PFASs increased by 7.5%–148.8% and 5.7%–37.1%, respectively. However, the DOM had no significant impact on the body burdens of shorter perfluoroalkyl chain PFASs (PFOA and PFNA). All of the four types of DOM lowered not only the uptake rate constants ( k u ) of PFASs due to the decrease of freely dissolved PFAS concentrations, but also the elimination rate constants ( k e ) due to the inhibition effect of DOM on the PFAS elimination from the larvae. The reduction in the two constants varied with both DOM and PFAS types. In the presence of PEP and HA with larger molecular weights, the k u values decreased more than k e, leading to the decreased body burdens of longer perfluoroalkyl chain PFASs. As for FA and TA with smaller molecular weights, the k e values decreased more than k u, resulting in increased body burdens of longer perfluoroalkyl chain PFASs. This study suggests that the effects of DOM on PFAS bioconcentration depend not only on the concentration but also on the molecule weight of DOM, which should be considered in the bioavailability assessment of PFASs. Graphical abstract: Highlights: DOM decreased both uptake ( k u ) and elimination ( k e ) rate constants of PFASs in larvae. The PFAS bioconcentration was related to the effect of DOM on both k u and k e values. DOM with different molecular weights had various effects on PFAS bioconcentration. The PFAS bioconcentration decreased with the increase of PEP and HA concentrations. The PFAS bioconcentration enhanced with the increase of FA and TA concentrations. Abstract : DOM has effects not only on uptake rate constants of PFASs in the larvae but also on their elimination rate constants.