Acute Oral Toxicity of Nonfluorinated Fire‐Fighting Foams to Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus). (22nd June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hossain, Farzana; Dennis, Nicole M.; Subbiah, Seenivasan; Karnjanapiboonwong, Adcharee; Guelfo, Jennifer L.; Suski, Jamie; Anderson, Todd A.
• Is Part Of: Environmental toxicology and chemistry. Volume 41:Number 8(2022)
• Page Start: 2003
• Page End: 2007
• Publication Date: 2022-06-22
• Subjects: Nonfluorinated fire‐fighting foam -- Short‐chain per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances -- Up‐and‐down procedure -- Limit test -- Water avoidance trial -- aqueous film‐forming foam; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 615.902
• DOI: 10.1002/etc.5398
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0730-7268

Abstract

Abstract: Long‐chain per‐ and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been the active ingredients in firefighting foams for more than 50 years. Due to their extreme persistence, regulatory agencies are concerned about their potential adverse environmental and health impacts. Recently, nonfluorinated chemical constituents have been proposed for use in fire‐fighting foams in an effort to reduce the potential negative impacts of PFAS on terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna. However, it is important to also determine the potential ecotoxicity of these nonfluorinated foam products, because we have little toxicological information for many of them. In preparation for a chronic study, we conducted an acute (24‐h) oral toxicity test in northern bobwhite quail ( Colinus virginianus ) using six different fluorine‐free foams; five were commercial foams (BioEx ECOPOL A, Fomtec Enviro USP, National Foam Avio Green KHC, National Foam NFD 20‐391, and Solberg Re‐Healing Foam), and one was an experimental foam (NRL 502W). A short‐chain PFAS‐based foam (Buckeye Platinum Plus C6) was also evaluated for comparative purposes. Groups of five birds were initially pseudogavaged with a volume of each product corresponding to a "limit" (the highest exposure concentration expected to occur environmentally). Only one bird (1 of 35) died during the limit test, indicating that all seven products have an acute median lethal dose in adult quail at or above the limit (~1500 mg/kg body wt). Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2003–2007. © 2022 SETAC