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Jones DK, Quinlin KA, Wigren MA, Choi YJ, Sepúlveda MS, Lee LS, Haskins DL, Lotufo GR, Kennedy A, May L, Harmon A, Biber T, Melby N, Chanov MK, Hudson ML, Key PB, Chung KW, Moore DW, Suski JG, Wirth EF, Hoverman JT. Acute Toxicity of Eight Aqueous Film-Forming Foams to 14 Aquatic Species. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:6078-6090. [PMID: 35486899 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have developed numerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations to replace PFAS-containing AFFF used for fire suppression. As part of the Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), we examined the direct lethal effects of seven PFAS-free AFFF and a PFAS-containing AFFF on 14 aquatic species using a series of lethal concentration (LC50) tests. We assessed the LC10, LC50, and LC90 values using log-logistic and logit analyses. Across all aquatic species tested, we discovered that exposure to at least one PFAS-free AFFF was more or as toxic as exposure to the PFAS-containing AFFF. For most cases, National Foam Avio F3 Green KHC 3% and Buckeye Platinum Plus C6MILSPEC 3% were the most and least toxic formulations, respectively. Moreover, we found consistency among results from multiple experiments using the same minnow species (Pimephales promelas) and among closely related taxa (e.g., daphnids, amphibians). Lastly, the LC50 values for AFFF formulations trended lower for tested marine species as compared to those of freshwater species. These results dramatically increase the current knowledge on the potentially toxic effects of AFFF but also highlight the need for additional research and the development of new PFAS-free AFFF that are more "ecologically friendly" than those containing persistent PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin K Jones
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kathryn A Quinlin
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Maggie A Wigren
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Youn J Choi
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Maria S Sepúlveda
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Linda S Lee
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - David L Haskins
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Guilherme R Lotufo
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Alan Kennedy
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Lauren May
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Ashley Harmon
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Thomas Biber
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Nicolas Melby
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Michael K Chanov
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031, United States
| | - Michelle L Hudson
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031, United States
| | - Peter B Key
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
| | - Katy W Chung
- CSS, Inc. Under Contract to NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
| | - David W Moore
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, United States
| | - Jamie G Suski
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031, United States
| | - Edward F Wirth
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
| | - Jason T Hoverman
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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