Scientists provide an understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in sediments and the edible portions of fish within Florida’s Tampa Bay in a pilot study designed to understand the potential for human exposure and health risks through fish consumption.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of synthetic chemicals that are widely used for many applications (toothpaste, fire retardants, stain resistant clothes, and carpets); persistent; environmentally stable; and have been detected in all environmental media (air, water, soil), wildlife, food items, and humans. The primary source of chronic exposure to PFASs in humans is through the ingestion of contaminated foods and drinking water, with fish and other seafood being a contributor; however, there is little information on the dietary exposure to PFASs through fish consumption for the general United States population.
To fill those gaps, scientists initiated a pilot study to measure PFASs in bottom sediments and the edible portion of fishes collected from Tampa Bay, Florida, and put the fish tissue levels into context with existing consumption guidelines to estimate potential human-health exposure from fish consumption.
Tampa Bay is a large open-water estuary inhabited by more than 200 fish species and is considered a prime recreational and commercial fishing destination. There are various potential PFAS sources surrounding the Tampa Bay region including military installations, airports, and wastewater treatment plants. The information from this pilot study was designed to provide resource managers and public-health experts with an understanding of potential risks from fish consumption.
Scientists collected fish (140 samples for 24 species) and sediment (17 samples) throughout Tampa Bay during 2020 and 2021 and analyzed for PFAS compounds. The concentrations of PFASs with existing concentration thresholds for minimum risk levels (MRLs) and tolerable weekly intake (TWIs) values and with detectable levels in fish tissues were used to estimate chronic and subchronic human-health risks from seafood consumption in Tampa Bay.
PFASs can move through the environment and through food chains to organisms including fish that are consumed by humans. For more information connect to the Science Team.
Image created by Jacqueline Olsen
Total PFAS concentrations detected in sediments and fish varied spatially throughout the bay were generally dominated by perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The composition of PFASs detected in sediment indicates the presence of local contamination sources in the bay (for example, wastewater treatment plant, runoff from contaminated surfaces at military installations, airports, and so forth) rather than atmospheric sources. Total PFAS concentrations in fish exceeded available concentration thresholds for MRLs and TWIs values for adults and youths.
This study was initiated as a pilot-level survey to understand the scale and extent of PFASs in sediments and across a range of fish species and to relate that information to available thresholds applicable to human health. The results of this study point toward the need for a better understanding of PFAS sources and factors related to the bioaccumulation of PFASs in multiple fish species to aid in interpretation of health risks for wildlife and humans and provide steps forward to reduce exposure.
This study was funded by Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (Grant #12394, Award 2500-1775).
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) science
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Integrated Science Team
PFAS Transport, Exposure, and Effects
U.S. Geological Survey Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Science Strategy Identifies Science Gaps and Opportunities
Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risks of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Advanced PFAS Measurement Methods
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Pennsylvania Statewide Surface Water-Quality Monitoring Network - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances Sampling Preparation
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) detected in Source Waters and Treated Public Water Supplies
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- Overview
Scientists provide an understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in sediments and the edible portions of fish within Florida’s Tampa Bay in a pilot study designed to understand the potential for human exposure and health risks through fish consumption.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Landsat image of Tampa Bay, Florida Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of synthetic chemicals that are widely used for many applications (toothpaste, fire retardants, stain resistant clothes, and carpets); persistent; environmentally stable; and have been detected in all environmental media (air, water, soil), wildlife, food items, and humans. The primary source of chronic exposure to PFASs in humans is through the ingestion of contaminated foods and drinking water, with fish and other seafood being a contributor; however, there is little information on the dietary exposure to PFASs through fish consumption for the general United States population.
To fill those gaps, scientists initiated a pilot study to measure PFASs in bottom sediments and the edible portion of fishes collected from Tampa Bay, Florida, and put the fish tissue levels into context with existing consumption guidelines to estimate potential human-health exposure from fish consumption.
Tampa Bay is a large open-water estuary inhabited by more than 200 fish species and is considered a prime recreational and commercial fishing destination. There are various potential PFAS sources surrounding the Tampa Bay region including military installations, airports, and wastewater treatment plants. The information from this pilot study was designed to provide resource managers and public-health experts with an understanding of potential risks from fish consumption.
Scientists collected fish (140 samples for 24 species) and sediment (17 samples) throughout Tampa Bay during 2020 and 2021 and analyzed for PFAS compounds. The concentrations of PFASs with existing concentration thresholds for minimum risk levels (MRLs) and tolerable weekly intake (TWIs) values and with detectable levels in fish tissues were used to estimate chronic and subchronic human-health risks from seafood consumption in Tampa Bay.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.The USGS is studying the sources and mechanisms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) fate, transport, exposure for both wildlife and humans in their shared ecosystems.
PFASs can move through the environment and through food chains to organisms including fish that are consumed by humans. For more information connect to the Science Team.
Image created by Jacqueline OlsenTotal PFAS concentrations detected in sediments and fish varied spatially throughout the bay were generally dominated by perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The composition of PFASs detected in sediment indicates the presence of local contamination sources in the bay (for example, wastewater treatment plant, runoff from contaminated surfaces at military installations, airports, and so forth) rather than atmospheric sources. Total PFAS concentrations in fish exceeded available concentration thresholds for MRLs and TWIs values for adults and youths.
This study was initiated as a pilot-level survey to understand the scale and extent of PFASs in sediments and across a range of fish species and to relate that information to available thresholds applicable to human health. The results of this study point toward the need for a better understanding of PFAS sources and factors related to the bioaccumulation of PFASs in multiple fish species to aid in interpretation of health risks for wildlife and humans and provide steps forward to reduce exposure.
This study was funded by Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (Grant #12394, Award 2500-1775).
- Science
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) science
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Integrated Science Team
Increasing scientific and public awareness of the widespread distribution of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. drinking-water supplies, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, wildlife, and humans has raised many public health and resource management questions that U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) science can inform. The USGS Environmental Health Program's PFAS Integrated Science Team...PFAS Transport, Exposure, and Effects
The team is determining the movement and behavior of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from their sources in the environment, as they move through exposure pathways in ecosystems including watersheds and aquifers, their incorporation into food webs, and molecular to population scale effects on fish and wildlife. These studies are accomplished at a variety of spatial scales from regional...U.S. Geological Survey Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Science Strategy Identifies Science Gaps and Opportunities
USGS recently (2022) released a strategic vision document that identifies science gaps and opportunities for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) monitoring, assessment, and research activities (sampling protocols and analytical methods, environmental sources and source apportionment, environmental occurrence, environmental fate and transport, human and wildlife exposure routes...Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in streams within agricultural areas (an often-unmeasured landscape) across Iowa. The data from this study provide one resource to understand the extent of PFAS concentrations in water resources from diverse landscapes throughout the United States.Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risks of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Ecotoxicology and ecological risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are summarized to highlight critical gaps and uncertainties, and to provide potential approaches to fill those gaps, including the development of targeted monitoring programs and cross-disciplinary approaches.Advanced PFAS Measurement Methods
Environmental Health Program scientists, in collaboration with other USGS scientists, are developing complementary field and laboratory methods and capabilities to detect and quantify a range of target and nontarget per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and indicator compounds at low levels (parts per trillion) in a variety of environmental matrices. The PFAS Integrated Science Team is...Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected at low levels in treated drinking water samples from residential taps in the Greater Chicago Area. This study is part of a larger approach to provide an understanding of contaminant mixtures in residential tap water across the Nation including underserved communities in rural, urban, and tribal areas.Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Residential Tap Water: Source-to-Tap Science for Underserved Communities
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected at low levels in treated drinking water samples from residential taps in the Greater Chicago Area. This study is part of a larger approach to provide an understanding of contaminant mixtures in residential tap water across the Nation including underserved communities in rural, urban, and tribal areas.Pennsylvania Statewide Surface Water-Quality Monitoring Network - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances Sampling Preparation
In partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Susquehanna River Basin Commission, rigorous and innovative PFAS sampling techniques were created for low-level detections.Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) detected in Source Waters and Treated Public Water Supplies
This study, which measured 17 per- and polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in source and treated public water supplies from 25 drinking water facilities as part of a broader study of contaminants in drinking water across the United States, reports that PFASs were detected in all source water and public water supply samples collected. One sample exceeded the current U.S. Environmental Protection...Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances From Firefighting and Domestic Wastewater Remain in Groundwater for Decades
New study explores the persistence and transport of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) that originated from both firefighting and domestic wastewater sources. Although the fire training area and wastewater facility were decommissioned over 20 years ago, both sites continue to be sources of PFASs to groundwater. - Publications