Abstract

Background:

Drinking water contamination related to the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been documented at hundreds of military bases, airports, and firefighter training facilities. AFFF has historically contained high levels of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose serious health concerns. However, the composition and toxicity of legacy AFFF mixtures are unknown, presenting great uncertainties in risk assessment and affected communities.

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine the fluorinated and nonfluorinated chemical composition of a legacy AFFF sample and its toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Methods:

A sample of legacy AFFF (3% application formulation, manufactured before 2001) was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was used to identify PFAS and nonfluorinated compounds, and a commercial laboratory measured 24 PFAS by a modified U.S. EPA Method 537.1. AFFF toxicity was assessed in zebrafish embryos in comparison with four major constituents: perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS); sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS); and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (TDS). End points included ${\text{LC}}_{50}$ values, and sublethal effects on growth, yolk utilization, and pancreas and liver development.

Results:

We identified more than 100 PFAS. Of the PFAS detected, PFOS was measured at the highest concentration ($\mathrm{9,410}\mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{L}$) followed by PFHxS ($\mathrm{1,500}\mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{L}$). Fourteen nonfluorinated compounds were identified with dodecyl sulfate and tetradecyl sulfate the most abundant at 547.8 and $496.4\mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{L}$, respectively. An ${\text{LC}}_{50}$ of $7.41\times {10}^{-4}\%$ AFFF was calculated, representing a dilution of the 3% formulation. TDS was the most toxic of the constituents tested but could not predict the AFFF phenotype in larval zebrafish. PFOS exposure recapitulated the reduction in length but could not predict effects on development of the liver, which was the tissue most sensitive to AFFF.

Discussion:

To our knowledge, this research is the first characterization of the chemical composition and toxicity of legacy AFFF, which has important implications for regulatory toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6470

中文翻译：

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斑马鱼（Danio rerio）中的旧水成膜泡沫样品的化学表征和发育毒性。

摘要

背景：

与水成膜泡沫（AFFF）的使用有关的饮用水污染已在数百个军事基地，机场和消防员培训设施中得到记录。AFFF历史上含有高含量的长链全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质（PFAS），这对健康构成了严重的担忧。但是，传统AFFF混合物的成分和毒性未知，在风险评估和受影响社区中存在很大的不确定性。

目标：

这项研究旨在确定传统AFFF样品的氟化和非氟化化学成分及其在斑马鱼胚胎中的毒性。

方法：

麻萨诸塞州环境保护部提供了传统AFFF（3％应用配方，2001年前生产）的样品。高分辨率质谱（HRMS）用于鉴定PFAS和非氟化化合物，商业实验室通过修改后的US EPA方法537.1测量了24 PFAS。与四个主要成分相比，评估了斑马鱼胚胎中的AFFF毒性：全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）；全氟己烷磺酸（PFHxS）; 十二烷基硫酸钠（SDS）; 和十四烷基硫酸钠（TDS）。包括终点${\text{LC}}_{50}$ 值，以及对生长，蛋黄利用，胰腺和肝脏发育的亚致死作用。

结果：

我们确定了100多个PFAS。在检测到的全氟辛烷磺酸中，全氟辛烷磺酸的浓度最高（$\mathrm{9,410}\mathrm{毫克}/\mathrm{大号}$），然后是PFHxS（$\mathrm{1,500}\mathrm{毫克}/\mathrm{大号}$）。鉴定出14种非氟化化合物，其中十二烷基硫酸盐和十四烷基硫酸盐含量最高，为547.8，而$496.4\mathrm{毫克}/\mathrm{大号}$， 分别。一个${\text{LC}}_{50}$ 的 $7.41\times {10}^{-4}％$计算AFFF，代表3％制剂的稀释度。TDS是所测试成分中毒性最高的，但不能预测幼虫斑马鱼的AFFF表型。全氟辛烷磺酸暴露概括了长度的减少，但不能预测对肝脏发育的影响，肝脏是对AFFF最敏感的组织。

讨论：

据我们所知，这项研究是传统AFFF的化学成分和毒性的第一个表征，对调节毒理学具有重要意义。https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6470