Suspect Screening of PFAS in French Coastal Bivalves: In-Depth Detection and Annotation Using Aqueous Film-Forming...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Marine Biology
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants.
• Oceans act as significant sinks for PFAS due to their mobility.
• Marine bivalves are valuable bioindicators for aquatic contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive suspect screening of PFAS in mussels and oysters along French coasts.
• To identify and characterize diverse PFAS classes, including novel compounds, in marine biota.
• To investigate the utility of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) as reference materials for PFAS analysis.

Main Methods:

• Suspect screening analysis of PFAS in marine mussels and oysters from 23 coastal sites.
• Utilized aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) as reference materials for PFAS identification and structural annotation.
• Employed spatial analysis to identify contamination hotspots and patterns.

Main Results:

• Identified 79 PFAS belonging to 29 classes in bivalves, with 15 classes reported in marine biota for the first time.
• AFFFs aided in PFAS detection and distinguishing between per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds.
• Contamination profiles varied spatially, with hotspots near industrial and estuarine areas.
• Detected unmonitored PFAS (e.g., 6:2 FTAB, FHxSA) at all sites, indicating widespread occurrence.

Conclusions:

• Marine bivalves are contaminated with a wide array of PFAS, including previously unreported classes.
• AFFFs are effective tools for PFAS screening and characterization in environmental samples.
• Contamination levels are influenced by proximity to industrial and estuarine zones.
• The detection of unmonitored PFAS underscores the necessity for expanding PFAS monitoring programs for effective environmental risk assessment.