Bioaccumulation and transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a stream and riparian food web contaminated by food processing wastewater

Environmental Science & Technology
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Abstract

We evaluated the bioaccumulation and transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a stream food web contaminated by a food processing facility. Abiotic (i.e., water, sediment, and foam) and biotic (i.e., algae, aquatic insect larvae and adults, fish, and riparian spiders) matrices were sampled upstream and downstream of the facility’s wastewater outfall. Compared with upstream, PFAS concentrations were 600-fold higher in downstream water (mean ∑40PFAS 3.67 ng mL–1 ± 0.48 (standard error)) and reflected inputs from the outfall, with 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) dominating the PFAS profile. Within the aquatic food web, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the most biomagnified, and 6:2 FTS was the most biodiluted. In contrast, insect-mediated transfer of PFAS to riparian spiders showed trophic enrichment of 6:2 FTS and dilution of PFOS. We observed significant positive associations between phospholipid membrane-water partition coefficient (log KMW) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylate (PFCA) chain length on bioaccumulation across most biological matrices, demonstrating that these chemical parameters are predictive of PFAS bioaccumulation potential in the field. Our research reveals important differences in aquatic versus terrestrial exposure for certain PFAS and that biological processes (e.g., trophic interactions and metamorphosis) and chemical properties (e.g., chain length, log KMW, and concentration) control PFAS uptake, bioaccumulation, and transfer in linked freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Bioaccumulation and transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a stream and riparian food web contaminated by food processing wastewater
Series title Environmental Science & Technology
DOI 10.1021/acs.est.5c04867
Volume 59
Issue 36
Publication Date September 04, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher American Chemical Society
Contributing office(s) Columbia Environmental Research Center
Description 13 p.
First page 19444
Last page 19456
Additional publication details