School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, U.K.
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Suffolk, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, U.K.
Environ Sci Technol. 2022 Feb 1;56(3):1675-1687. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05410. Epub 2022 Jan 11.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that have been linked to adverse health effects in wildlife and humans. Here, we report the presence of PFASs in Eurasian otters () in England and Wales and their association with anthropogenic sources. The following 15 compounds were analyzed: 10 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), 4 perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs), and perfluorooctane sulfonamide, in livers of 50 otters which died between 2007 and 2009. PFASs were detected in all otters analyzed, with 12/15 compounds detected in ≥80% of otters. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) accounted for 75% of the ΣPFAS profile, with a maximum concentration of 6800 μg/kg wet weight (ww). Long-chain (≥C8) PFCAs accounted for 99.9% of the ΣPFCA profile, with perfluorodecanoic acid and perfluorononanoic acid having the highest maxima (369 μg/kg ww and 170 μg/kg ww, respectively). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were negatively associated with the distance from a factory that used PFOA in polytetrafluoroethylene manufacture. Most PFAS concentrations in otters were positively associated with load entering wastewater treatment works (WWTW) and with arable land, suggesting that WWTW effluent and sewage sludge-amended soils are significant pathways of PFASs into freshwaters. Our results reveal the widespread pollution of British freshwaters with PFASs and demonstrate the utility of otters as effective sentinels for spatial variation in PFAS concentrations.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是普遍存在的环境污染物，已被证明会对野生动物和人类的健康产生不良影响。在这里，我们报告了在英格兰和威尔士的欧亚水獭（）中存在 PFAS 及其与人为来源的关联。分析了以下 15 种化合物：10 种全氟烷基羧酸（PFCAs）、4 种全氟烷基磺酸（PFSAs）和全氟辛烷磺酰胺，这些化合物存在于 2007 年至 2009 年间死亡的 50 只水獭的肝脏中。所有分析的水獭都检测到了 PFAS，有 12/15 种化合物在≥80%的水獭中被检测到。全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）占 ΣPFAS 谱的 75%，最高浓度为 6800μg/kg 湿重（ww）。长链（≥C8）PFCAs 占 ΣPFCA 谱的 99.9%，其中全氟癸酸和全氟壬酸的最大值最高（分别为 369μg/kg ww 和 170μg/kg ww）。水獭中全氟辛酸（PFOA）的浓度与距离使用 PFOA 生产聚四氟乙烯的工厂的距离呈负相关。水獭中大多数 PFAS 浓度与进入废水处理厂（WWTW）的负荷以及耕地呈正相关，这表明 WWTW 废水和添加污水污泥的土壤是 PFAS 进入淡水的重要途径。我们的研究结果揭示了英国淡水受到 PFAS 广泛污染的情况，并证明了水獭作为 PFAS 浓度空间变化的有效哨兵的效用。
