Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants originating from many everyday products. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two PFAS that are commonly found at high concentrations in aquatic environments. Both chemicals have previously been shown to be toxic to fish, as well as having complex and largely uncharacterized mixture effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhthalates are chemical esters used to enhance desirable properties of plastics, personal care, and cleaning products. Phthalates have shown ubiquitous environmental contamination due to their abundant use and propensity to leach from products to which they are added. Following exposure, phthalates are rapidly metabolized and excreted through urine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
February 2021
The defensibility of field sampling data collected in support of natural resource damage assessments and other environmental investigations depends on rigorous quality assurance and control both in the field and laboratory. One important step in field procedures is the cleaning of sampling equipment between samples to minimize the carryover of contaminants. Large-scale sampling efforts during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill event have highlighted the importance of understanding how multiple equipment cleaning protocols affect interstation cross-contamination and the resulting chemical data quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhen oil is spilled into the environment its toxicity is affected by abiotic conditions. The cumulative and interactive stressors of chemical contaminants and environmental factors are especially relevant in estuaries where tidal fluctuations cause wide variability in salinity, temperature, and ultraviolet (UV) light penetration, which is an important modifying factor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) toxicity. Characterizing the interactions of multiple stressors on oil toxicity will improve prediction of environmental impacts under various spill scenarios.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhthalates are chemical esters used as additives in common consumer goods, such as plastics, household cleaners, and personal care products. Phthalates are not chemically bound to the items to which they are added and can easily leach into the surrounding environment. Anthropogenic drivers, such as coastal plastic pollution and wastewater runoff, increase the exposure potential for coastal marine fauna.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBenthic surveys of mesophotic reefs in the Gulf of Mexico post Deepwater Horizon (DWH) showed that Swiftia exserta octocorals exhibited significantly more injury than in years before the spill. To determine the vulnerability of S. exserta to oil and dispersants, 96h toxicity assays of surrogate DWH oil water-accommodated fractions (WAF), Corexit® 9500 dispersant, and the combination of both (CEWAF) were conducted in the laboratory.
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