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Bioaccumulation and partitioning of PFAS in an AFFF-impacted freshwater system: Invasive Asian clams as indicators of
Katharina Pankratz1, Anna Gotsiridze2, Robin Taylor Wilson2
1Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802-1408, United States of America.
Abstract:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) introduced into the environment from historical aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) releases are persistent sources of ground- and surface water contamination. This study evaluated invasive Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) as biomonitors in the Little Neshaminy Creek watershed (Pennsylvania, USA), adjacent to two former military installations with documented AFFF use, to assess their ability to integrate spatial and temporal variability in PFAS exposure. Surface water, sediment, and clam tissue were analyzed for 44 PFAS compounds using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Samples collected in 2023 detected (>MDLs) nineteen PFAS compounds in surface water (ΣPFAS: 40-248 ng/L), eight in sediment (ΣPFAS: 491-1081 ng/kg), and five in clam tissue (ΣPFAS: 428-2796 ng/kg). Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) dominated across all matrices and exhibited strong bioaccumulation. Tissue ΣPFOS concentrations were significantly associated with water concentrations (R2 = 0.86, p = 0.0003) and, to a lesser extent, sediment concentrations (R2 = 0.56, p < 0.02). Field-derived sediment-water distribution coefficients (Kd) and biota accumulation factors indicated preferential retention and uptake of long-chain PFAS, particularly PFOS. Sediment-water partitioning explained a substantial proportion of variability in tissue PFOS concentrations (R2 = 0.72). Elevated PFAS concentrations were measured in surface water, sediment and bivalves downstream of groundwater discharge zones, indicating ongoing plume contributions to the environment. Results demonstrate that freshwater bivalves integrate PFAS exposure across time and may provide a practical tool for monitoring contamination in both groundwater-influenced and surface water systems. These findings support the use of invasive Asian clams as cost-effective bioindicators for PFAS in freshwater ecosystems impacted by historical AFFF releases.
