Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Nov;43(11):2436-2454.
doi: 10.1002/etc.5979. Epub 2024 Aug 27.

Chronic Toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance-Free Firefighting Foams to Aquatic Organisms

Neil Fuller  1 , Jamie G Suski  1 , Sarah Lanasa  1 , Michael K Chanov  1 , Devin K Jones  2 , David L Haskins  2 , Kathryn A Quinlin  2 , Maggie A Wigren  2 , Jason T Hoverman  2 , Youn J Choi  3 , Maria S Sepulveda  3 , Linda S Lee  3 , Guilherme R Lotufo  4 , Alan Kennedy  4 , Lauren May  4 , Ashley Harmon  4 , Thomas Biber  4 , Nicolas Melby  4 , David W Moore  4 , Peter B Key  5 , Katy W Chung  5 , Edward F Wirth  5 , Todd A Anderson  6
Affiliations

Chronic Toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance-Free Firefighting Foams to Aquatic Organisms

Neil Fuller et al. Environ Toxicol Chem. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Amid global concern regarding the health and environmental impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), there is an urgent need to develop and implement alternative products without PFAS. Consequently, PFAS-free firefighting foams used for fire suppression have been developed for use in military and residential settings. To facilitate the selection of lower-risk PFAS-free foams, the present study focused on the chronic toxicity of seven PFAS-free and one PFAS-containing foam to six aquatic species. Target species included two cladocerans, Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia; the chironomid Chironomus dilutus; the mysid Americamysis bahia; and two fish species, Pimephales promelas and Cyprinodon variegatus, with endpoints including growth, development, reproduction, and survival. To facilitate comparison and product toxicity rankings, effective concentrations (20%, 50%) and no- and lowest-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs and LOECs, respectively) were calculated. Effective concentrations, NOECs, and LOECs varied by over an order of magnitude among foams and species, with several of the PFAS-free formulations ranked as highly toxic based on US Environmental Protection Agency alternatives assessment hazard criteria. Overall, the PFAS-free foams were found to exhibit either similar or greater toxicity compared to the PFAS-containing reference foam across several species and endpoints. Nonmonotonic and hormetic dose responses were observed in D. magna for several of the tested foams, with increased reproduction and growth at intermediate exposures. Generally, tested foam toxicity rankings were consistent with a related acute toxicity study using the same species and formulations, and other research using soil invertebrates. Combined with related efforts for other taxa including mammals, birds, and plants, the present research will facilitate the selection of appropriate PFAS-free firefighting foams that minimize harm to the environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2436-2454. © 2024 SETAC.

Keywords: Aquatic toxicology; Ecotoxicology; Hazard/risk assessment; Perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS).

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Anderson, R. H., Thompson, T., Stroo, H. F., & Leeson, A. (2021). US Department of Defense–funded fate and transport research on per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances at aqueous film–forming foamimpacted sites. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40(1), 37–43.
    1. Ankley, G. T., Cureton, P., Hoke, R. A., Houde, M., Kumar, A., Kurias, J., & Valsecchi, S. (2021). Assessing the ecological risks of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Current state‐of‐the science and a proposed path forward. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40(3), 564–605.
    1. Ateia, M., Buren, J. V., Barrett, W., Martin, T., & Back, G. G. (2023). Sunrise of PFAS replacements: A perspective on fluorine‐free foams. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 11(21), 7986–7996.
    1. Badmus, S. O., Amusa, H. K., Oyehan, T. A., & Saleh, T. A. (2021). Environmental risks and toxicity of surfactants: Overview of analysis, assessment, and remediation techniques. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 62085–62104.
    1. Baluyot, J. C., Reyes, E. M., & Velarde, M. C. (2021). Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as contaminants of emerging concern in Asia's freshwater resources. Environmental Research, 197, Article 111122.

LinkOut - more resources