Accumulation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the food chain of the Western Scheldt estuary: Comparing field measurements with kinetic modeling.
The environmentally persistent perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a perfluoroalkylated acid (PFA), which has been found to accumulate and biomagnify through food webs all over the world. In the present investigation, the accumulation kinetics of PFOS was explored using the bioaccumulation model OMEGA. As accumulation behavior of PFOS may show similarities to fatty acids as well as to neutral organic compounds, different modeling approaches were used. Accumulation kinetics of PFOS was modeled similar to (1) moderately and (2) highly hydrophobic compounds, (3) metals and (4) as a combination of hydrophobic compounds and metals. Modeled elimination and uptake rate constants were compared to empirical rate constants from literature. Subsequently, model predictions were compared to field-based biota-suspended solids accumulation ratios (BSAF) in the estuarine food chain of the Western Scheldt, The Netherlands. Results show that uptake of PFOS is comparable to moderately hydrophobic compounds and elimination is best described by elimination kinetics of metals. These observations indicate that the accumulation behavior of PFOS is comparable to that of short and medium chained fatty acids.
de Vos
Martine G
MG
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Huijbregts
Mark A J
MA
van den Heuvel-Greve
Martine J
MJ
Vethaak
A Dick
AD
Van de Vijver
Kristin I
KI
Leonards
Pim E G
PE
van Leeuwen
S P J
SP
de Voogt
P
P
Hendriks
A Jan
AJ
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009426:Netherlands; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid