Biomonitoring of perfluorochemicals and toxicity to the downstream fish community of Etobicoke Creek following deployment of aqueous film-forming foam

Abstract

On August 2, 2005, Air France Flight 358 descended on Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto, ON, Canada) during adverse weather conditions and overran the runway, leading to an onboard fire which destroyed the aircraft. Large quantities (48 000 L) of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) were applied to the burning fuselage within meters of Etobicoke Creek. Local authorities could not confirm the identity of the AFFF formulation applied, but chemical analyses of fish livers collected 9 days post-AFFF application indicated that no perfluorinated acids (PFAs) were elevated at the site of application or downstream. This, and higher concentrations of a fluorotelomer sulfonate in fish liver collected downstream, suggests that an AFFF containing telomerized polyfluorinated material was likely used. However, as an urbanized stream within a heavily developed commercial, industrial, and residential watershed, background levels of perfluorinated compounds in Etobicoke Creek were considerable at all sites. Enlarged fish livers adjacent the AFFF-application site, commensurate with depressed peroxisomal β-oxidation and hepatic oxidative stress, demonstrate some short-term impact of the AFFF on exposed fish within 9 days of its release. Most fish biochemical responses had recovered to normal values by 120 days, although there was some indication that AFFF-associated contamination shifted further downstream over this interval. This study suggests contemporary AFFFs exert relatively low toxicity on fish communities under realistic exposure scenarios.