In Vivo Biotransformation Rates of Organic Chemicals in Fish: Relationship with Bioconcentration and Biomagnification Factors

In vivo dietary bioaccumulation experiments for 85 hydrophobic organic substances were conducted to derive the in vivo gastrointestinal biotransformation rates, somatic biotransformation rates, bioconcentration factors (BCF), and biomagnification factors (BMF) for improving methods for bioaccumulation assessment and to develop an in vivo biotransformation rate database for QSAR development and in vitro to in vivo biotransformation rate extrapolation. The capacity of chemicals to be biotransformed in fish was found to be highly dependent on the route of exposure. Somatic biotransformation was the dominant pathway for most chemicals absorbed via the respiratory route. Intestinal biotransformation was the dominant metabolic pathway for most chemicals absorbed via the diet. For substances not biotransformed or transformed exclusively in the body of the fish, the BCF and BMF appeared to be closely correlated. For substances subject to intestinal biotransformation, the same correlation did not apply. We conclude that intestinal biotransformation and bioavailability in water can modulate the relationship between the BCF and BMF. This study also supports a fairly simple rule of thumb that may be useful in the interpretation of dietary bioaccumulation tests; i.e., chemicals with a BMF_L of <1 tend to exhibit BCFs based on either the freely dissolved (BCF_WW,fd) or the total concentration (BCF_WW,t) of the chemical in the water that is less than 5000

Observation of a Novel PFOS-Precursor, the Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Ethanol-Based Phosphate (SAmPAP) Diester, in Marine Sediments

The environmental occurrence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) can arise from its direct use as well as from transformation of precursors ((<i>N</i>-alkyl substituted) perfluorooctane sulfonamides; FOSAMs). Perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol-based phosphate (SAmPAP) esters are among numerous potential PFOS-precursors which have not been previously detected in the environment and for which little is known about their stability. Based on their high production volume during the 1970s–2002 and widespread use in food contact paper and packaging, SAmPAP esters may be potentially significant sources of PFOS. Here we report for the first time on the environmental occurrence of SAmPAP diester in marine sediments from an urbanized marine harbor in Vancouver, Canada. SAmPAP diester concentrations in sediment (40–200 pg/g dry weight) were similar to those of PFOS (71–180 pg/g). A significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) correlation was observed between SAmPAP diester and <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetate (an anticipated degradation product of SAmPAP diester). ∑PFOS-precursor (FOSAM) concentrations in sediment (120–1100 pg/g) were 1.6–24 times greater than those of PFOS in sediment. Although SAmPAP diester was not detected in water, PFOS was observed at concentrations up to 710 pg/L. Among the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances monitored in the present work, mean log-transformed sediment/water distribution coefficients ranged from 2.3 to 4.3 and increased with number of CF₂ units and N-alkyl substitution (in the case of FOSAMs). Overall, these results highlight the importance of FOSAMs as potentially significant sources of PFOS, in particular for urban marine environments

Biodegradation of <i>N</i>‑Ethyl Perfluorooctane Sulfonamido Ethanol (EtFOSE) and EtFOSE-Based Phosphate Diester (SAmPAP Diester) in Marine Sediments

Investigations into the biodegradation potential of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)-precursor candidates have focused on low molecular weight substances (e.g., <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido ethanol (EtFOSE)) in wastewater treatment plant sludge. Few data are available on PFOS-precursor biodegradation in other environmental compartments, and nothing is known about the stability of high-molecular-weight perfluorooctane sulfonamide-based substances such as the EtFOSE-based phosphate diester (SAmPAP diester) in any environmental compartment. In the present work, the biodegradation potential of SAmPAP diester and EtFOSE by bacteria in marine sediments was evaluated over 120 days at 4 and 25 °C. At both temperatures, EtFOSE was transformed to a suite of products, including <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetate, perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetate, <i>N</i>-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide, perfluorooctane sulfonamide, and perfluorooctane sulfonate. Transformation was significantly more rapid at 25 °C (<i>t</i>_1/2 = 44 ± 3.4 days; error represents standard error of the mean (SEM)) compared to 4 °C (<i>t</i>_1/2 = 160 ± 17 days), but much longer than previous biodegradation studies involving EtFOSE in sludge (<i>t</i>_1/2 ∼0.7–4.2 days). In contrast, SAmPAP diester was highly recalcitrant to microbial degradation, with negligible loss and/or associated product formation observed after 120 days at both temperatures, and an estimated half-life of >380 days at 25 °C (estimated using the lower bounds 95% confidence interval of the slope). We hypothesize that the hydrophobicity of SAmPAP diester reduces its bioavailability, thus limiting biotransformation by bacteria in sediments. The lengthy biodegradation half-life of EtFOSE and recalcitrant nature of SAmPAP diester in part explains the elevated concentrations of PFOS-precursors observed in urban marine sediments from Canada, Japan, and the U.S, over a decade after phase-out of their production and commercial application in these countries

Habitat-Based PCB Environmental Quality Criteria for the Protection of Endangered Killer Whales (<i>Orcinus orca</i>)

The development of an area-based polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) food-web bioaccumulation model enabled a critical evaluation of the efficacy of sediment quality criteria and prey tissue residue guidelines in protecting fish-eating resident killer whales of British Columbia and adjacent waters. Model-predicted and observed PCB concentrations in resident killer whales and Chinook salmon were in good agreement, supporting the model’s application for risk assessment and criteria development. Model application shows that PCB concentrations in the sediments from the resident killer whale’s Critical Habitats and entire foraging range leads to PCB concentrations in most killer whales that exceed PCB toxicity threshold concentrations reported for marine mammals. Results further indicate that current PCB sediment quality and prey tissue residue criteria for fish-eating wildlife are not protective of killer whales and are not appropriate for assessing risks of PCB-contaminated sediments to high trophic level biota. We present a novel methodology for deriving sediment quality criteria and tissue residue guidelines that protect biota of high trophic levels under various PCB management scenarios. PCB concentrations in sediments and in prey that are deemed protective of resident killer whale health are much lower than current criteria values, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of high trophic level marine mammals to persistent and bioaccumulative contaminants