title: Perfluorinated alkyl acids in plasma of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from Florida and South Carolina.
abstract: The present study aimed to quantitate 15 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in 125 adult American alligators at 12 sites across the southeastern United States. Of those 15 PFAAs, 9 were detected in 65% to 100% of samples: perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), perfluorododecanoic acid, perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTriA), perfluorotetradecanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Males (across all sites) showed significantly higher concentrations of 4 PFAAs: PFOS (p = 0.01), PFDA (p = 0.0003), PFUnA (p = 0.021), and PFTriA (p = 0.021). Concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFDA in plasma were significantly different among the sites in each sex. Alligators at both Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (FL, USA) and Kiawah Nature Conservancy (SC, USA) exhibited some of the highest PFOS concentrations (medians of 99.5 ng/g and 55.8 ng/g, respectively) in plasma measured to date in a crocodilian species. A number of positive correlations between PFAAs and snout-vent length were observed in both sexes, suggesting that PFAA body burdens increase with increasing size. In addition, several significant correlations among PFAAs in alligator plasma may suggest conserved sources of PFAAs at each site throughout the greater study area. The present study is the first to report PFAAs in American alligators, to reveal potential PFAA hot spots in Florida and South Carolina, and to provide a contaminant of concern when assessing anthropogenic impacts on ecosystem health. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:917-925. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bangma
authors.affiliation: Hollings Marine Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Eustis, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Arnold M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brunell
authors.affiliation: Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.affiliation: Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Finnell
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Guillette
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Integrated Mission Support Service, Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Russell H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lowers
authors.affiliation: Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rainwater
authors.affiliation: Hollings Marine Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.affiliation: Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guillette
mesh_terms: D000144:Acids, Acyclic / Q000097:blood*; D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D062312:Islands; D008297:Male; D013022:South Carolina
chemical_list: D000144:Acids, Acyclic; D005466:Fluorocarbons
keywords: Alligator; Crocodilian; Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS); Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); Plasma