Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei
The widespread use and persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised concerns about their ecological impacts. The relative lack of toxicological data for most current-use PFAS, including short-chain compounds such as perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and precursors such as per...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325009078 |
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| author | Thimo Groffen Robin Lasters Ge Xie Taiyeba Tanjina Cornelis A.M. van Gestel Lieven Bervoets |
| author_facet | Thimo Groffen Robin Lasters Ge Xie Taiyeba Tanjina Cornelis A.M. van Gestel Lieven Bervoets |
| author_sort | Thimo Groffen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The widespread use and persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised concerns about their ecological impacts. The relative lack of toxicological data for most current-use PFAS, including short-chain compounds such as perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and precursors such as perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA), is an uncertainty factor in ecological risk assessment. This study investigated the bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity (mortality, light avoidance, and change in soil granulometry as proxy of burrowing behaviour) of PFBS and FBSA in the earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei in the natural standard LUFA 2.2 soil. Results showed that FBSA was more bioaccumulative (biota-to-soil accumulation factor (BSAF, minimum - maximum) of 0.191–205 kg-OC/kg-ww) and toxic than PFBS, with significant mortality (28-day LC50 10.0–10.4 mg/kg dry soil) and impaired light avoidance behaviour observed at concentrations close to the 28-day LC50 concentration. PFBS exhibited a lower bioaccumulation potential (minimum - maximum BSAF of 3.85*10−5 – 7.44 kg-OC/kg-ww) and toxicity (28-day LC50 > 1000 mg/kg dry soil). For both PFAS, BSAF values were strongly dependent on exposure concentrations, with the highest BSAF values reported at the lower, environmentally relevant, test concentrations. Species-specific differences in bioaccumulation (absolute concentrations and BSAF values) were minor, with E. andrei showing slightly higher PFBS accumulation (4.13 ± 0.979 mg/kg ww) at high (1000 mg/kg dry soil) exposure concentrations than E. fetida (2.34 ± 0.0633 mg/kg ww). Despite minor differences in soil granulometry changes among exposure treatments, no clear dose-dependent patterns nor species-specific differences were observed. Overall, our results show a high bioaccumulation potential, but low toxicity, of FBSA and PFBS at environmentally relevant concentrations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2a2fcd0c044b40e9a054d9103d48b2b6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-2a2fcd0c044b40e9a054d9103d48b2b62025-08-20T03:41:17ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-09-0130211856210.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118562Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andreiThimo Groffen0Robin Lasters1Ge Xie2Taiyeba Tanjina3Cornelis A.M. van Gestel4Lieven Bervoets5ECOSPHERE, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, Belgium; Correspondence to: University of Antwerp, Campus Groenenborger, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, Belgium.ECOSPHERE, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, BelgiumAmsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 Hz, the NetherlandsECOSPHERE, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, BelgiumAmsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 Hz, the NetherlandsECOSPHERE, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, BelgiumThe widespread use and persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised concerns about their ecological impacts. The relative lack of toxicological data for most current-use PFAS, including short-chain compounds such as perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and precursors such as perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA), is an uncertainty factor in ecological risk assessment. This study investigated the bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity (mortality, light avoidance, and change in soil granulometry as proxy of burrowing behaviour) of PFBS and FBSA in the earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei in the natural standard LUFA 2.2 soil. Results showed that FBSA was more bioaccumulative (biota-to-soil accumulation factor (BSAF, minimum - maximum) of 0.191–205 kg-OC/kg-ww) and toxic than PFBS, with significant mortality (28-day LC50 10.0–10.4 mg/kg dry soil) and impaired light avoidance behaviour observed at concentrations close to the 28-day LC50 concentration. PFBS exhibited a lower bioaccumulation potential (minimum - maximum BSAF of 3.85*10−5 – 7.44 kg-OC/kg-ww) and toxicity (28-day LC50 > 1000 mg/kg dry soil). For both PFAS, BSAF values were strongly dependent on exposure concentrations, with the highest BSAF values reported at the lower, environmentally relevant, test concentrations. Species-specific differences in bioaccumulation (absolute concentrations and BSAF values) were minor, with E. andrei showing slightly higher PFBS accumulation (4.13 ± 0.979 mg/kg ww) at high (1000 mg/kg dry soil) exposure concentrations than E. fetida (2.34 ± 0.0633 mg/kg ww). Despite minor differences in soil granulometry changes among exposure treatments, no clear dose-dependent patterns nor species-specific differences were observed. Overall, our results show a high bioaccumulation potential, but low toxicity, of FBSA and PFBS at environmentally relevant concentrations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325009078PFASMortalityBSAFEarthwormsLight avoidanceGranulometry |
| spellingShingle | Thimo Groffen Robin Lasters Ge Xie Taiyeba Tanjina Cornelis A.M. van Gestel Lieven Bervoets Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety PFAS Mortality BSAF Earthworms Light avoidance Granulometry |
| title | Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei |
| title_full | Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei |
| title_fullStr | Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei |
| title_short | Bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) in Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei |
| title_sort | bioaccumulation and toxicity of perfluorobutane sulfonate pfbs and perfluorobutane sulfonamide fbsa in eisenia fetida and eisenia andrei |
| topic | PFAS Mortality BSAF Earthworms Light avoidance Granulometry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325009078 |
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