Review of Physical and Chemical Properties of <i>Perfluorooctanyl sulphonate</i> (PFOS) with Respect to its Potential Contamination on the Environment

Variations in cost of transport and their ecological consequences: a review

Movement is essential in the ecology of most animals, and it typically consumes a large proportion of individual energy budgets. Environmental conditions modulate the energetic cost of movement (cost of transport, COT), and there are pronounced differences in COT between individuals within species and across species. Differences in morphology affect COT, but the physiological mechanisms underlying variation in COT remain unresolved. Candidates include mitochondrial efficiency and the efficiency of muscle contraction-relaxation dynamics. Animals can offset increased COT behaviourally by adjusting movement rate and habitat selection. Here, we review the theory underlying COT and the impact of environmental changes on COT. Increasing temperatures, in particular, increase COT and its variability between individuals. Thermal acclimation and exercise can affect COT, but this is not consistent across taxa. Anthropogenic pollutants can increase COT, although few chemical pollutants have been investigated. Ecologically, COT may modify the allocation of energy to different fitness-related functions, and thereby influence fitness of individuals, and the dynamics of animal groups and communities. Future research should consider the effects of multiple stressors on COT, including a broader range of pollutants, the underlying mechanisms of COT and experimental quantifications of potential COT-induced allocation trade-offs.

Removal of 27 micropollutants by selected wetland macrophytes in hydroponic conditions

In this work, the primary focus is given on a mixture of 27 micropollutants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and others) and its removal from aqueous solution by phytoremediation. Phytoremediation belongs to technologies, which are contributing on removal of micropollutants from wastewater in constructed wetlands. Constructed wetlands can be used as an additional step for elimination of micropollutants from municipal medium-sized wastewater treatment plants. To our knowledge, such a broad variety of micropollutants was never targeted for removal by phytoremediation before. In this work, we carry out experiments with 3 emergent macrophytes: Phragmites australis, Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum salicaria in hydroponic conditions. The selected plants are exposed to mixture of micropollutants in concentrations 1-14 mg/l for a time period of 30 days. The highest affinity for phytoremediation is detected at groups of fluorosurfactants (removal rate up to 30%), beta-blockers (removal rate up to 50%) and antibiotics (removal rate up to 90%). The leading capability for micropollutant uptake is detected at Lythrum salicaria, where 25 out of 27 compounds are removed with more than 20% efficiency. The results demonstrate well usefulness of this technology e.g. in an additional treatment step, because the mentioned groups of micropollutants are removed with comparable or even higher effectivity, than it is in case of conventional wastewater treatment plants.

Perfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environment-comparison of fish and passive sampling approaches

The concentrations of seven perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated in 36 European chub (Squalius cephalus) individuals from six localities in the Czech Republic. Chub muscle and liver tissue were analysed at all sampling sites. In addition, analyses of 16 target PFASs were performed in Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCISs) deployed in the water at the same sampling sites. We evaluated the possibility of using passive samplers as a standardized method for monitoring PFAS contamination in aquatic environments and the mutual relationships between determined concentrations. Only perfluorooctane sulphonate was above the LOQ in fish muscle samples and 52% of the analysed fish individuals exceeded the Environmental Quality Standard for water biota. Fish muscle concentration is also particularly important for risk assessment of fish consumers. The comparison of fish tissue results with published data showed the similarity of the Czech results with those found in Germany and France. However, fish liver analysis and the passive sampling approach resulted in different fish exposure scenarios. The total concentration of PFASs in fish liver tissue was strongly correlated with POCIS data, but pollutant patterns differed between these two matrices. The differences could be attributed to the metabolic activity of the living organism. In addition to providing a different view regarding the real PFAS cocktail to which the fish are exposed, POCISs fulfil the Three Rs strategy (replacement, reduction, and refinement) in animal testing.

Ecotoxicological effects of waterborne PFOS exposure on swimming performance and energy expenditure in juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The potential risks of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are of increasing ecological concern. Swimming performance is linked to the fitness and health of fish. However, the impacts of PFOS on swimming performance remain largely unknown. We investigated the ecotoxicological effects of acute exposure to PFOS on the swimming performance and energy expenditure of juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus). The fish were exposed to a range of PFOS concentrations (0, 0.5, 2, 8 and 32 mg/L) for 48 hr. The spontaneous swimming activity, fast-start swimming performance, critical swimming speed (U(crit)) and active metabolic rate (AMR) of the goldfish were examined after exposure to PFOS. PFOS exposure resulted in remarkable effects on spontaneous activity. Motion distance was reduced, and the proportion of motionless time increased with increasing concentrations of PFOS. However, no significant alterations in the fast-start performance-related kinematic parameters, such as latency time, maximum linear velocity, maximum linear acceleration or escape distance during the first 120 msec after stimulus, were observed after PFOS exposure. Unexpectedly, although PFOS exposure had marked influences on the swimming oxygen consumption rates and AMR of goldfish, the U(crit) of the goldfish was not significantly affected by PFOS. This may result in a noteworthy increase in the energetic cost of transport. The overall results indicate that, in contrast to spontaneous activity, underlying swimming capabilities are maintained in goldfish after short-term exposure to PFOS, but energy expenditure during the process of swimming is dramatically aggravated.