Anthropogenic Drivers of Variation in Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales.

Emily O’Rourke,Frank Hailer,Elizabeth A Chadwick,Eleanor F Kean,Jonathan L Barber,M Glória Pereira,Sara Losada,Juliet Hynes

doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c05410

Abstract

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 (Lutra lutra) 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.

Highlights

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large family of highly fluorinated aliphatic anthropogenic chemicals, which have been used since the late 1940s in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications.[1,2] The use of PFASs has drawn increasing concern and regulatory interest due to accumulating evidence about their persistence in the environment, bioaccumulative potential, and toxicity in both wildlife and humans.[3−7] The perfluoroalkyl moiety, common to all PFASs, imparts hydrophobic, oleophobic, and temperatureresistant properties to the compounds at enhanced levels compared to hydrocarbon analogues.[8]
Fifteen compounds were targeted in this study as follows: four perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) of 4, 6, 8, and 10 carbons in length, ten perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) increasing in a carbon chain length from 5 to 14, and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA)
This is the first report of PFASs in Eurasian otters from Britain: detectable concentrations of PFASs were found in all livers analyzed

Summary

■ INTRODUCTION

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large family of highly fluorinated aliphatic anthropogenic chemicals, which have been used since the late 1940s in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications.[1,2] The use of PFASs has drawn increasing concern and regulatory interest due to accumulating evidence about their persistence in the environment, bioaccumulative potential, and toxicity in both wildlife and humans.[3−7] The perfluoroalkyl moiety, common to all PFASs, imparts hydrophobic, oleophobic, and temperatureresistant properties to the compounds at enhanced levels compared to hydrocarbon analogues.[8]. Source of PFASs via atmospheric deposition or dilution within river linear distance from each otter to a factory using PFOA at a time of sampling (2007−09) in PTFE manufacture (AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd, Lancashire) binary variable, discharge reported, or no discharge reported within a 10 km radius around each otter data source measured at post-mortem examination by Cardiff. All models included otter length, otter body condition, the log of percentage landfill (log values were used to improve model fit), mean wastewater treatment loading, percentage of pastoral land, and percentage of arable land (within the 10 km radius area around each otter). A non-parametric analysis was used because the assumption of normally distributed data for the parametric alternative (two sample t-test) was violated

■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

■ REFERENCES