Presidential Research Excellence Professor Department of Environmental Toxicology,

Texas Tech University

Global Market Development Manager,

Food and Environmental - Phenomenex

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals commonly found in surface protectants and fire-fighting foams. Research has revealed that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of some PFAS can reduce reproductive success and have other adverse effects on animals. In this webinar, Professor Todd Anderson, from the Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, presents new findings from field studies determining PFAS concentrations in plant and animal tissues. His team have been involved in laboratory and field studies where it was necessary to determine PFAS concentrations in plant and animal tissues to (1) better understand the pathways of PFAS trophic transport from soil to higher organisms, and (2) to determine PFAS burdens in exposed organisms and the potential for maternal transfer of PFAS from adults to offspring.

LC-MS analytical methods for PFAS determination in water and soil matrices provide a solid foundation upon which to make slight changes to improve method performance for extracts of plant and animal tissues. In controlled laboratory studies with an avian model, we’ve used these modified methods with varying degrees of success, to measure PFAS in adult livers, eggs, hatchling livers, and brain tissue (adults and hatchings). These PFAS measurements in tissues allowed for determination of avian Toxicity Reference Values based on survival, growth, and reproduction endpoints, as well as maternal transfer from exposed adults to unexposed hatchlings. In field studies on historical fire training areas, we’ve used these modified methods on a limited set of PFAS analytes, to measure PFAS in vegetation, invertebrates, and small mammal livers. These PFAS measurements have allowed us to better understand the trophic transport pathway(s) from soil to higher organisms based on diet (herbivores, insectivores, omnivores) or activity (grooming, nest building).