Analysis of PFAAs in American alligators part 2: Potential dietary exposure of South Carolina hunters from recreationally harvested alligator meat

Exposure to perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) has been linked to many harmful health effects including reproductive disorders, developmental delays, and altered liver and kidney function. Most human exposure to environmental contaminants, including PFAAs, occurs through consumption of contaminated food or drinking water. This study uses PFAA data from meat samples collected from recreationally harvested American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in South Carolina to assess potential dietary exposure of hunters and their families to PFAAs. Consumption patterns were investigated using intercept surveys of 23 hunters at a wild game meat processor. An exposure scenario using the average consumption frequency, portion size, and median perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) concentration in alligator meat from all hunt units found the daily dietary exposure to be 2.11 ng/kg body weight per day for an adult human. Dietary PFOS exposure scenarios based on location of harvest suggested the highest daily exposure occurs with alligator meat from the Middle Coastal hunt unit in South Carolina. Although no samples were found to exceed the recommended threshold for no consumption of PFOS found in Minnesota state guidelines, exposure to a mixture of PFAAs found in alligator meat and site-specific exposures based on harvest location should be considered in determining an appropriate guideline for vulnerable populations potentially exposed to PFAAs through consumption of wild alligator meat.     

Tissue distribution of perfluoroalkyl acids and health status in wild Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) from Loskop Dam, Mpumalanga, South Africa

This study examined concentrations of 15 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in tissues from male Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) collected at Loskop Dam, Mpumalanga, South Africa in 2014 and 2016. Nine of the 15 PFAAs were detected frequently and were included in statistical analysis and included two of the most commonly known PFAAs, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (median, 41.6 ng/g) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (median, 0.0825 ng/g). Of the tissues measured, plasma (2016 and 2014 median, 22.2 ng/g) contained the highest PFAA burden followed by (in descending order): liver (median, 11.6 ng/g), kidney (median, 9.04 ng/g), spleen (median, 5.92 ng/g), adipose (median, 2.54 ng/g), and muscle (median, 1.11 ng/g). Loskop Dam tilapia have been affected by an inflammatory disease of the adipose tissue known as pansteatitis, so this study also aimed to investigate relationships between PFAA tissue concentrations and incidence of pansteatitis or fish health status. Results revealed that healthy tilapia exhibited an overall higher (p-value < 0.05) PFAA burden than pansteatitis-affected tilapia across all tissues. Further analysis showed that organs previously noted in the literature to contain the highest PFAA concentrations, such as kidney, liver, and plasma, were the organs driving the difference in PFAA burden between the two tilapia groups. Care must be taken in the interpretations we draw from not only the results of our study, but also other PFAA measurements made on populations (human and wildlife alike) under differing health status.     

Inhibition effects of perfluoroalkyl acids on progesterone production in mLTC-1

Perfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs) are a class of fluorine substituted carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid and alcohol, structurally similar to their corresponding parent compounds. Previous study demonstrated the potential endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid, two dominant PFASs in animals and humans. We explored the relationship between eleven perfluoroalkyl acids(PFAAs)with different carbon chain length and their ability to inhibit progesterone production in mouse Leydig tumor cells(m LTC-1). We found an obvious dose–response relationship between progesterone inhibition rate and PFAA exposure concentration in m LTC-1. The relative inhibition rate of progesterone by PFAAs was linearly related to the carbon chain length and molar refractivity of PFAAs. Mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) decreased after PFAA exposure at the half-maximal inhibitory effect concentration(IC_(50)) of progesterone production in m LTC-1, while the reactive oxygen species(ROS) content increased significantly. These results imply that the inhibition effect of PFAAs on progesterone production might be due, in part, to ROS damage and the decrease in MMP in m LTC-1.     

东湖表层水体中全氟辛酸和全氟辛磺酸空间分布特征

研究了东湖表层水体中全氟辛酸(PFOA)和全氟辛磺酸(PFOS)的含量及空间分布特征,总量范围为31.1～237ng.L-1,几何平均值为115 ng.L-1,表明整个湖区受到不同程度的PFOS和PFOA污染.全部水样均检出了PFOS和PFOA,峰值达到132和158 ng.L-1,几何平均值分别为60.4和55.0 ng.L-1.湖区东部污染最严重,其次是湖区南部,湖区北部和西部污染程度相对较轻.与PFOS相比,高浓度PFOA分布相对分散,PFOS和PFOA含量之间无显著相关性,表明东湖表层水体中PFOS和PFOA属于多源输入.30个(63%)取样点上PFOS含量超过可能对水生生态系统产生影响的临界数值(43 ng.L-1),20个(42%)取样点上PFOA含量超过美国新泽西洲制定的饮用水标准(40 ng.L-1).     

城市水环境PFAAs前驱体污染特征及健康风险

为揭示城市水环境中前驱体对全氟烷基酸（PFAAs）输入特征、分布格局及健康风险的影响,对南京城市污水处理厂出水、河流、湖泊、长江饮用水源地等水体进行了考察.利用HPLC-MS/MS及总可氧化前驱体法（TOP Assay）分析了17种PFAAs与其总可氧化前驱体的污染特征,并通过推演耐受剂量评估了饮水途径的健康风险商（HQ）.结果表明,污水处理厂出水中PFAAs浓度90.6~278ng/L,主要单体PFBS、PFHxA、PFOA占总浓度的63%;总可氧化前驱体浓度239~839pmol/L,PFBA前驱体含量最高.城市地表水中PFAAs浓度61.8~157ng/L,总可氧化前驱体浓度195~572pmol/L,PFBA、PFPeA、PFHxA 3种全氟羧酸的前驱体含量最高,城市河流流经人口密集区后,PFAAs赋存浓度有所上升,但总可氧化前驱体浓度下降.饮用水源地中PFAAs浓度50.9~54.6ng/L,总可氧化前驱体浓度273~372pmol/L,以PFBA、PFPeA和PFHxA 3种全氟羧酸的前驱体为主.相对高风险来源于PFOS的免疫毒性（HQ=0.024）以及PFOA的发育毒性（HQ=0.0073）和生殖毒性（HQ=0.0039）,可氧化前驱体转化可能将二者潜在风险提高23%和40%.水环境中广泛赋存的前驱体可能增加PFAAs的环境暴露及健康风险.     

黄渤海区域水产品中全氟烷基物质的分布特征

选取黄渤海区域水产品生产、消费水平较高的23个城市,采集鱼类、海洋贝类、甲壳类、头足类及海珍品（海参、鲍鱼）等5类水产品共1225个样本,采用超快速液相色谱-串联质谱法测定了23种全氟烷基物质（PFASs）的含量,并分析了黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平及分布特征.结果表明,黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平具有明显的组分差异、城市分布及品种分布差异等特征.在23种PFASs组分中,共检出20种PFASs,其中全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）和全氟辛酸（PFOA）的检出率最高,分别为79.1%和71.7%,且PFOA的质量浓度占比最高（64.5%）,为首要污染组分;在不同采样点样本中,莱州湾近岸的潍坊、滨州和东营,渤海湾近岸的沧州以及辽东湾近岸的营口为PFASs总质量浓度（∑PFASs）较高的城市,残留水平范围为10.2~16.8μg/kg;在不同品种样本中,检出PFASs组分的数量由高到低为：鱼类（20种） > 海洋贝类、甲壳类（18种） > 海珍品（16种） > 头足类（10种）,其中海洋贝类、海珍品样本中检出率最高的是PFOA,鱼类、甲壳类样本中检出率最高的是PFOS,而头足类则是全氟辛烷磺酰胺（PFOSA）;通过计算不同水产品中PFASs各组分的平均含量发现,PFOA、PFOS、全氟十一烷酸（PFUdA）和PFOSA在不同品种中平均含量相对较高,且表现出较为明显的组分差异性;通过计算危害指数（HR）评价人体暴露于PFASs的健康风险,得到PFASs各组分的危害指数均 < 1,说明黄渤海区域水产品中残留的PFASs对消费者的潜在健康风险较低.     

The short-chain perfluorinated compounds PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA and PFHxA, disrupt human mesenchymal stem cell self-renewal and adipogenic differentiation

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are commonly used in industrial processes and daily life products. Because they are persistent, they accumulate in the environment, wildlife and humans. Although many studies have focused on two of the most representative PFASs, PFOS and PFOA, the potential toxicity of short-chain PFASs has not yet been given sufficient attention. We used a battery of assays to evaluate the toxicity of several four-carbon and six-carbon perfluorinated sulfonates and carboxyl acids (PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA and PFHxA), with a human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) system. Our results demonstrate significant cyto- and potential developmental toxicity for all the compounds analyzed, with shared but also distinct mechanisms of toxicity. Moreover, the effects of PFBS and PFHxS were stronger than those of PFBA and PFHxA, but occurred at higher doses compared to PFOS or PFOA.     

沈阳市降雪中PFOS和PFOA污染现状调查

通过调查降雪中PFOS和PFOA的浓度,阐明了沈阳市大气中PFOS和PFOA的污染状况和污染规律.2006-02-06采集沈阳市区和郊区共计36个采样点的降雪样品,2006-02-25在其中5个采样点再次采集降雪样品.固相萃取融雪水中的PFOS和PFOA,利用LC-MS-SIM法测定样品中PFOS和PFOA浓度.全部样品中均检出PFOS和PFOA.2006-02-06降雪中PFOS和PFOA的浓度几何平均值分别为2.0 ng·L^-1（范围：0.4～46.2 ng·L^-1）和3.6 ng·L^-1（范围：1.6～22.4 ng·L^-1）,95%置信区间分别为1.5～2.8 ng·L^-1和3.1～4.2 ng·L^-1.PFOS和PFOA的最高浓度同时出现在郊区采样点朱尔屯,市中心区2种物质的浓度呈显著正相关.2006-02-25的5个采样点降雪中PFOS和PFOA的浓度几何平均值均为2.2 ng·L^-1.2次降雪中PFOS浓度差异不显著,2006-02-25降雪中PFOA浓度高于2006-02-06.结果表明,沈阳市区和郊区降雪中广泛存在PFOS和PFOA污染,局部区域可能存在共同的PFOS和PFOA污染来源;沈阳地区有较稳定的PFOS来源持续向大气中输送该类物质;PFOS和PFOA的环境行为可能不同.     

母乳中全氟化合物的污染水平与婴儿暴露评估

为探索北京市产妇母乳中典型全氟化合物的污染水平及婴儿经母乳的外暴露水平及风险.于2011~2012年通过征集母乳捐献志愿者方式采集95份母乳样本,并填写调查表,记录母乳捐献者的人口学特征及居住环境等信息.采用固相萃取结合超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定母乳中全氟辛酸及全氟辛烷磺酸的含量,估算婴儿经母乳的每日摄入量并与参考剂量进行比较.结果显示北京市产妇母乳中全氟辛酸含量均值和中位数分别为42和37.4pg/m L,范围在13.4~181.3pg/m L之间.全氟辛烷磺酸含量高于全氟辛酸,均值、中位数和范围分别为66.6、54.5和14~390.3pg/m L,统计分析发现全氟辛酸与体重指数呈正相关但与母乳产出时间呈负相关,而全氟辛烷磺酸则与产妇年龄呈正相关.婴儿经母乳全氟辛酸和全氟辛烷磺酸每日摄入量中值分别为4.67和6.81ng/(kg bw·d),最高值分别为22.66和48.79ng/(kg bw·d),显示部分婴儿经母乳摄入的全氟辛烷磺酸水平超过了参考剂量,健康风险值得关注.     

官厅水库周边土壤重金属空间变异特征及风险分析

在官厅水库周边2～10 km范围内系统测定了8种重金属元素的含量,利用GIS技术和地统计分析方法,研究了重金属元素的空间变异特征及环境风险.结果表明,Cd是该区域主要的污染物,检测值（0.68±0.17） mg/kg相当于国家1级标准的3.4倍,40%的区域超过国家2级标准.土壤中7种重金属（Ni除外）的空间变异主要缘自于施肥、耕作及种植制度等人为活动引起的随机性因素,空间格局呈现西高东低,并呈洋河至怀来县区段污染最重的趋势.单因子污染指数和单因子生态危害系数Cd均显著高于其他重金属元素,复合污染指数呈库北高于库南,西部高于东部的空间趋势,复合生态风险指数南北向也有类似分布特征,东西向集中在怀来县、延庆县和中部北辛堡镇3个区域,说明高环境污染区将伴随高的生态风险,人口密集、工业化程度较高的城镇区域更容易引起生态危害.