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Nolen RM, Prouse A, Russell ML, Bloodgood J, Díaz Clark C, Carmichael RH, Petersen LH, Kaiser K, Hala D, Quigg A. Evaluation of fatty acids and carnitine as biomarkers of PFOS exposure in biota (fish and dolphin) from Galveston Bay and the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2024; 276:109817. [PMID: 38101762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a ubiquitous pollutant that elicits a wide range of toxic effects in exposed biota. Coastal zones in highly urbanized or industrial areas are particularly vulnerable to PFOS pollution. At present, information is lacking on biomarkers to assess PFOS effects on aquatic wildlife. This study investigated the efficacy of l-carnitine (or carnitine) and fatty acids as biomarkers of PFOS exposure in aquatic biota. The levels of PFOS, total and free carnitine, and 24 fatty acids (measured as fatty acid methyl esters or FAMEs) were measured in the liver, and muscle or blubber, of fish and dolphins sampled from Galveston Bay and the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). Overall, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) had the highest hepatic PFOS levels. Galveston Bay fish, gafftopsail catfish (Bagre marinus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), had hepatic PFOS levels ∼8-13× higher than nGoM pelagic fish species, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). The multivariate analysis of PFOS liver body-burdens and biomarkers found carnitine to be a more modal biomarker of PFOS exposure than FAMEs. Significant positive correlation of hepatic PFOS levels with total carnitine was evident for biota from Galveston Bay (fish only), and a significant correlation between PFOS and total and free carnitine was evident for biota from the nGoM (fish and dolphins). Given the essential role of carnitine in mediating fatty acid β-oxidation, our results suggest carnitine to be a likely candidate biomarker of environmental PFOS exposure and indicative of potential dyslipidemia effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayna M Nolen
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA.
| | - Alexandra Prouse
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Mackenzie L Russell
- University Programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
| | - Jennifer Bloodgood
- University Programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA; Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama, 307 N University Blvd, Mobile, AL 36688, USA; Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 240 Farrier Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Cristina Díaz Clark
- University Programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
| | - Ruth H Carmichael
- University Programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA; Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama, 307 N University Blvd, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Lene H Petersen
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Karl Kaiser
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - David Hala
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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