Occurrence and biomagnification of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Lake Michigan fishes. 2023

Daniele A Miranda, and Alison M Zachritz, and Heather D Whitehead, and Shannon R Cressman, and Graham F Peaslee, and Gary A Lamberti
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Environmental Change initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States. Electronic address: ddealmei@nd.edu.

We measured perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in prey and predator fish from Lake Michigan (USA) to investigate the occurrence and biomagnification of these compounds in this important ecosystem. Twenty-one PFAS were analyzed in 117 prey fish obtained from sites across Lake Michigan and in 87 salmonids collected in four lake quadrants. The mean concentration of sum (∑) PFAS above the method detection limit was 12.7 ± 6.96 ng g-1 wet weight in predator fish (all of which were salmonids) and 10.7 ± 10.4 ng g-1 in prey fish, with outlier levels found in slimy sculpin, Cottus cognatus (187 ± 12.2 ng g-1 ww). Perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid (PFOS) was the most frequently detected and most abundant compound of the 21 PFAS, occurring in 98 % of individuals with a mean concentration of 9.86 ± 6.36 ng g-1 ww without outliers. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCA) concentrations were higher in prey fish than in predators, with some compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) being detected in higher frequency in prey fish. Besides PFOS, detection of several long-chain (C8-C12) PFCAs were observed in >80 % of the prey fish. Overall, the observed concentrations in Lake Michigan fish were lower than those reported in other Laurentian Great Lakes except for Lake Superior. Biomagnification factors (BMFs) for PFOS exceeded 1.0 (range, 1.80 to 5.12) in all predator-prey relationships analyzed, indicating biomagnification of these compounds, whereas BMFs of other long-chain PFCAs varied according to the fish species. PFAS were found in all fish species measured from Lake Michigan and commonly biomagnified from prey to predator fish, strongly suggesting a dietary connection.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008824 Michigan State bounded on the north by the Great Lakes, on the east by Canada, on the south by Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, and on the west by Lake Michigan and Wisconsin.
D004784 Environmental Monitoring The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment. Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D005399 Fishes A group of cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates having gills, fins, a cartilaginous or bony endoskeleton, and elongated bodies covered with scales.
D005466 Fluorocarbons Liquid perfluorinated carbon compounds which may or may not contain a hetero atom such as nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur, but do not contain another halogen or hydrogen atom. This concept includes fluorocarbon emulsions, and fluorocarbon blood substitutes. Perfluorinated and related polyfluorinated chemicals are referred to as PFAS and are defined as chemicals with at least two adjacent carbon atoms, where one carbon is fully fluorinated and the other is at least partially fluorinated. Fluorocarbon,Fluorocarbon Emulsion,Fluorocarbon Emulsions,Fluorotelomer Phosphate Esters,N-Alkyl Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonamido Carboxylates,PFAS Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,PFC Perfluorinated Chemicals,PFECAs Perfluoropolyether Carboxylic Acids,Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,Perfluoroalkane Sulfonamides,Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates,Perfluoroalkyl Ether Carboxylates,Perfluoroalkyl Polyether Carboxylates,Perfluorocarbon,Perfluorocarbons,Perfluoropolyether Carboxylic Acids,Polyfluorocarbons,Fluorinated Telomer Alcohols,Fluoro-Telomer Alcohols,Polyfluorinated Telomer Alcohols,Telomer Fluorocarbons,Acids, Perfluoropolyether Carboxylic,Alcohols, Fluorinated Telomer,Alcohols, Fluoro-Telomer,Alcohols, Polyfluorinated Telomer,Carboxylates, Perfluoroalkyl,Carboxylates, Perfluoroalkyl Ether,Carboxylates, Perfluoroalkyl Polyether,Carboxylic Acids, Perfluoropolyether,Chemicals, PFC Perfluorinated,Emulsion, Fluorocarbon,Emulsions, Fluorocarbon,Esters, Fluorotelomer Phosphate,Ether Carboxylates, Perfluoroalkyl,Fluoro Telomer Alcohols,Fluorocarbons, Telomer,N Alkyl Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonamido Carboxylates,PFAS Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,Perfluorinated Chemicals, PFC,Phosphate Esters, Fluorotelomer,Polyether Carboxylates, Perfluoroalkyl,Sulfonamides, Perfluoroalkane,Telomer Alcohols, Fluorinated,Telomer Alcohols, Polyfluorinated
D000081482 Bioaccumulation An increase in the concentration of an exogenous substance in the tissues of organisms higher than surrounding ENVIRONMENT. Accumulation of such XENOBIOTICS at successively higher levels up the FOOD CHAIN is called biomagnification. Bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals (e.g., Lead and DDT) may result in CHEMICALLY-INDUCED DISORDERS. Bio Accumulation,Bio Amplification,Bio Concentration,Bio Magnification,Bio-accumulation,Bio-amplification,Bio-concentration,Bio-magnification,Bioamplification,Bioconcentration,Biomagnification,Bio Amplifications,Bio-accumulations,Bio-amplifications,Bio-concentrations,Bio-magnifications,Bioamplifications,Bioconcentrations,Biomagnifications
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012487 Salmonidae A family of anadromous fish comprising SALMON; TROUT; whitefish; and graylings. They are the most important food and game fishes. Their habitat is the northern Atlantic and Pacific, both marine and inland, and the Great Lakes. (Nelson: Fishes of the World, 1976, p97) Graylings,Thymallus,Whitefish,Salmonids,Grayling,Salmonid
D013451 Sulfonic Acids Inorganic or organic oxy acids of sulfur which contain the RSO2(OH) radical. Sulfonic Acid,Acid, Sulfonic,Acids, Sulfonic
D014874 Water Pollutants, Chemical Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water. Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water
D017738 Alkanesulfonic Acids Sulfonic acid derivatives that are substituted with an aliphatic hydrocarbon group. Acids, Alkanesulfonic

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