Project description:Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are persistent in the environment. Due to concerns linked with longer chain PFAS, shorter chain chemicals were used as replacements, but developmental toxicity assessments of the shorter chain chemicals are limited. The aim of this study was to compare the developmental toxicity of three perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs): perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), composed of 8 carbon (C8), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, C6), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, C4) using the zebrafish (Danio rerio). LC50s at 120 hour post fertilization (hpf) were determined to assess the potency of each PFAA by exposing developing zebrafish (1-120 hpf) to a range of concentrations. In sublethal assessments, zebrafish were exposed to 0, 4, 40, or 400 parts per billion (ppb; µg/L) of the PFAAs throughout embryonic development (1-72 hpf). Effects of the embryonic exposure on locomotor activities was completed with the visual motor response test at 120 hpf. At 72 hpf, morphological changes including total body length, head length, and head width were assessed. Additionally, transcriptomic profiles of PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA were determined at 72 hpf to compare altered molecular and disease pathways. The LC50 ranking was PFOA > PFHxA > PFBA, which followed trend as expected based on chain length. PFOA caused hyperactivity and PFBA hypoactivity, while PFHxA did not change behavior. PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA caused morphological and transcriptomic alterations that were unique for each chemical and were concentration dependent. Cancer was a top enriched disease for PFOA, while FXR/RXR activation was a top canonical pathway in all PFBA exposures. Overall, an embryonic exposure to PFOA, PFHxA, or PFBA resulted in morphological alterations in zebrafish eleuthero-embryos; however, only PFOA and PFBA induced neurobehavioral alterations. The transcriptomic profile of each chemical was unique indicating different toxicity mechanisms and were aligned with human adverse health outcomes supporting predictive value.

Project description:Traditional toxicity testing has been unable to keep pace with the introduction of new chemicals into commerce. Consequently, there are limited or no toxicity data upon which to base a risk assessment for many chemicals to which fish and wildlife may be exposed. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emblematic of this issue in that most the ecological hazards of most PFAS remain uncharacterized. The present study employed a high throughput assay to identify the concentration at which 20 PFAS, with diverse properties, elicited a concerted gene expression response in larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas, 5-6 days post-fertilization) exposed for 24 h. Based on a reduced transcriptome approach that measured whole body expression of 1832 genes, the median transcriptomic point of departure (tPOD) for the 20 PFAS tested was 10 µM. Longer chain carboxylic acids (12-13 C-F) and an eight C-F di-alcohol, N-alkyl sulfonamide, and telomer sulfonic acid were among the most potent PFAS, eliciting gene expression responses at concentrations below 1 µM. With a few exceptions, larval fathead minnow tPODs were concordant with those based on whole transcriptome response in human cell lines. However, larval fathead minnow tPODs were often greater than those for Daphnia magna exposed to the same PFAS. The tPODs overlapped concentrations at which other sub-lethal effects have been reported in fish (available for 10 PFAS; including a range of species, life stages, and study designs). Nonetheless, fathead minnow tPODs were all orders of magnitude higher than aqueous PFAS concentrations detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes suggesting a substantial margin of safety in those systems, even for PFAS with significant potential for bioaccumulation. Overall, results broadly support the use of a fathead minnow larval transcriptomics assay to derive screening level potency estimates for use in ecological risk-based prioritization. Traditional toxicity testing has been unable to keep pace with the introduction of new chemicals into commerce. Consequently, there are limited or no toxicity data upon which to base a risk assessment for many chemicals to which fish and wildlife may be exposed. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emblematic of this issue in that most the ecological hazards of most PFAS remain uncharacterized. The present study employed a high throughput assay to identify the concentration at which 20 PFAS, with diverse properties, elicited a concerted gene expression response in larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas, 5-6 days post-fertilization) exposed for 24 h. Based on a reduced transcriptome approach that measured whole body expression of 1832 genes, the median transcriptomic point of departure (tPOD) for the 20 PFAS tested was 10 µM. Longer chain carboxylic acids (12-13 C-F) and an eight C-F di-alcohol, N-alkyl sulfonamide, and telomer sulfonic acid were among the most potent PFAS, eliciting gene expression responses at concentrations below 1 µM. With a few exceptions, larval fathead minnow tPODs were concordant with those based on whole transcriptome response in human cell lines. However, larval fathead minnow tPODs were often greater than those for Daphnia magna exposed to the same PFAS. The tPODs overlapped concentrations at which other sub-lethal effects have been reported in fish (available for 10 PFAS; including a range of species, life stages, and study designs). Nonetheless, fathead minnow tPODs were all orders of magnitude higher than aqueous PFAS concentrations detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes suggesting a substantial margin of safety in those systems, even for PFAS with significant potential for bioaccumulation. Overall, results broadly support the use of a fathead minnow larval transcriptomics assay to derive screening level potency estimates for use in ecological risk-based prioritization.

Project description:Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a large group of contaminants of concern based on their widespread use, distribution and persistence in the environment, and potential toxicity. Many of the traditional models for estimating toxicity, bioaccumulation, and other relevant toxicological properties are not well suited for PFAS. Consequently, there is a need to generate hazard information for a large number of PFAS in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In the present study, Daphnia magna were exposed to multiple concentrations of 22 different PFAS for 24 h, in a 96-well plate format. Following exposure, whole body RNA was extracted and pooled extracts, each representing five exposed individuals, were subjected to RNA sequencing. Following analytical measurements to verify PFAS exposure concentrations in-well, and quality control on processed cDNA libraries for sequencing, concentration-response modeling was applied to the data sets for 18 of the tested compounds, and the concentration at which a concerted molecular response occurred (transcriptomic point of departure; tPOD) was calculated. The tPODs, based on average measured concentration of PFAS in the exposure wells, generally ranged from 0.03-0.58 µM (9.9-350 µg/L; interquartile range). In most cases, these concentrations were two orders of magnitude lower than similarly calculated tPODs for human cell lines exposed to PFAS. They were also lower than apical effect concentrations reported for seven PFAS for which some crustacean or invertebrate toxicity data were available, although there were a few exceptions. However, despite being lower than most other available hazard benchmarks, the Daphnia magna tPODs were, on average, four orders of magnitude greater than the maximum aqueous concentrations of PFAS measured in Great Lakes tributaries. Overall, this high throughput transcriptomics assay with Daphnia magna holds promise as a component of a tiered hazard evaluation strategy employing new approach methodologies.

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Apical and transcriptomic points of departure (aPOD and tPOD) of nine PFAS with different carbon chains and functional groups in zebrafish embryos

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