TY - JOUR
T1 - Phospholipid Levels Predict the Tissue Distribution of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in a Marine Mammal
AU - Dassuncao, Clifton
AU - Pickard, Heidi
AU - Pfohl, Marisa
AU - Tokranov, Andrea K.
AU - Li, Miling
AU - Mikkelsen, Bjarni
AU - Slitt, Angela
AU - Sunderland, Elsie M.
PY - 2019/2/20
Y1 - 2019/2/20
N2 - Exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been linked to many negative health impacts in humans and wildlife. Unlike neutral hydrophobic organic pollutants, many PFASs are ionic and have been hypothesized to accumulate in both phospholipids and protein-rich tissues. Here we investigate the role of phospholipids for PFAS accumulation by analyzing associations among concurrent measurements of phospholipid, total protein, total lipid, and 24 PFASs in the heart, muscle, brain, kidney, liver, blubber, placenta, and spleen of North Atlantic pilot whales (Globicephala melas). The sum of 24 PFASs (∑24 PFAS) was highest in the liver [median of 260 ng g–1; interquartile range (IQR) of 216–295 ng g–1] and brain (86.0 ng g–1; IQR of 54.5–91.3 ng g–1), while phospholipid levels were highest in the brain. The relative abundance of PFASs in the brain greatly increases with carbon-chain lengths of ≥10, suggesting shorter-chain compounds may cross the blood–brain barrier less efficiently. Phospholipids were significant predictors of the tissue distribution of the longest-chain PFASs: perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS), perfluorododecanoate (PFDoA), perfluorotridecanoate (PFTrA), and perfluorotetradecanoate (PFTA) (rs = 0.5–0.6). In all tissues except the brain, each 1 mg g–1 increase in phospholipids led to a 12–25% increase in the concentration of each PFAS. We conclude that partitioning to phospholipids is an important mechanism of bioaccumulation for long-chain PFASs in marine mammals.
AB - Exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been linked to many negative health impacts in humans and wildlife. Unlike neutral hydrophobic organic pollutants, many PFASs are ionic and have been hypothesized to accumulate in both phospholipids and protein-rich tissues. Here we investigate the role of phospholipids for PFAS accumulation by analyzing associations among concurrent measurements of phospholipid, total protein, total lipid, and 24 PFASs in the heart, muscle, brain, kidney, liver, blubber, placenta, and spleen of North Atlantic pilot whales (Globicephala melas). The sum of 24 PFASs (∑24 PFAS) was highest in the liver [median of 260 ng g–1; interquartile range (IQR) of 216–295 ng g–1] and brain (86.0 ng g–1; IQR of 54.5–91.3 ng g–1), while phospholipid levels were highest in the brain. The relative abundance of PFASs in the brain greatly increases with carbon-chain lengths of ≥10, suggesting shorter-chain compounds may cross the blood–brain barrier less efficiently. Phospholipids were significant predictors of the tissue distribution of the longest-chain PFASs: perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS), perfluorododecanoate (PFDoA), perfluorotridecanoate (PFTrA), and perfluorotetradecanoate (PFTA) (rs = 0.5–0.6). In all tissues except the brain, each 1 mg g–1 increase in phospholipids led to a 12–25% increase in the concentration of each PFAS. We conclude that partitioning to phospholipids is an important mechanism of bioaccumulation for long-chain PFASs in marine mammals.
KW - marine mammal
KW - Anatomy
KW - Bioaccumulation
KW - Central Nervous System
KW - Lipids
KW - Toxins
U2 - 10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00031
DO - 10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00031
M3 - Article
SN - 2328-8930
VL - 6
SP - 119
EP - 125
JO - Environmental Science and Technology Letters
JF - Environmental Science and Technology Letters
IS - 3
ER -
