Uptake and bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in fish in the Columbia Slough, Portland, Oregon: 2019-2020

The Columbia Slough is located south and parallel to the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon and consists of approximately 19 miles of predominantly urbanized waterway that drains approximately 32,700 acres of land with industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural uses. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found in aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) used for firefighting, and soil and groundwater contamination by PFASs has been detected at Portland International Airport (PDX) and the adjacent Portland Air National Guard base (PANG). PFASs have also been detected in sediments from Columbia Slough, which receives stormwater runoff from both PDX and PANG. Fish tissue samples were collected from the Columbia Slough in July of 2019 and July of 2020 and analyzed for over 240 individual PFAS.