Quantifying sources of variability in fish bioaccumulation factor estimates for perfluoro-n-octane sulfonic acid: study design effects and implications for water quality criteria.

ABSTRACT: Numeric water quality criteria development approaches for the protection of aquatic life and human health incorporate bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) as key exposure pathways. These are typically derived from field-collected tissue and ambient water concentration data, and are often highly variable within and across species. Existing guidance for conducting BAF field studies is necessarily general to accommodate research objectives, ecosystem characteristics, and the chemicals and species of interest. However, the direction on evaluating study quality and understanding of the relative influence of study design components on BAFs is limited. We used a large, publicly available dataset of perfluoro-n-octane sulfonic acid (PFOS) concentrations in water and fish tissue to (1) evaluate overall p

SUBMITTER: Flinders C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11790207 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature