Occurrence, biomagnification, and health risk assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in marine organisms from western coast of the Yellow Sea.

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) received widespread concern due to their persistent, bioaccumulative potential and health impacts. In the present study, 33 legacy and emerging PFASs were analyzed in nine marine species from western coast of the Yellow Sea. The concentrations of PFASs ranged from 109.14 to 483.13 ng/g dry weight (dw), and 29.24 to 101.71 ng/g wet weight (ww). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the predominant congener, accounting for 24.7-61.1% of total PFASs. Positive correlation was observed between field-calculated log BAFs and model prediction values. Based on stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N), a marine food web was constructed to evaluate trophic transfer. Trophic magnification factor (TMF) of total PFASs was 2.25, confirming the biomagnification ability of PFASs. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA, TMF = 4.72) and N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acid (N-EtFOSAA, TMF = 6.64) exhibited the highest amplification, whereas short-chain PFASs and 8:2 chlorinated polyfluoroether sulfonate displayed trophic dilution. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of four priority PFASs (22.2 ng/kg bw/day) exceeded the EFSA tolerable weekly intake of 0.63 ng/kg bw/week, indicating potential health concerns associated with local seafood consumption. These findings reveal pervasive contamination in marine organisms from western coast of the Yellow Sea.