Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of perfluorinated compounds in a eutrophic freshwater food web.
In this study, the bioaccumulation of perfluorinated compounds from a food web in Taihu Lake in China was investigated. The organisms included egret bird species, carnivorous fish, omnivorous fish, herbivorous fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, zoobenthos and white shrimp. Isotope analysis by δ(13)C and δ(15)N indicated that the carnivorous fish and egret were the top predators in the studied web, occupying trophic levels intermediate between 3.66 and 4.61, while plankton was at the lowest trophic level. Perfluorinated carboxylates (PFCAs) with 9-12 carbons were significantly biomagnified, with trophic magnification factors (TMFs) ranging from 2.1 to 3.7. The TMF of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) (2.9) was generally comparable to or lower than those of the PFCAs in the same food web. All hazard ratio (HR) values reported for PFOS and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) were less than unity, suggesting that the detected levels would not cause any immediate health effects to the people in Taihu Lake region through the consumption of shrimps and fish.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
Jian
J
Xu
Chang-Sheng
CS
Guo
Yuan
Y
Zhang
Wei
W
Meng
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000378:metabolism
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Bioaccumulation; Food web; Perfluorinated compounds; Trophic transfer