Bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates: Impact of species and sediment organic carbon content.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments have caused global concern due to their persistence, toxicity, and potential bioaccumulation of some compounds. As an important compartment of the aquatic ecosystem, sediment properties impact PFAS partitioning between aqueous and solid phases, but little is known about the influence of sediment organic carbon content on PFAS bioaccumulation in benthic organisms. In this study, three freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates - worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), mussels (Elliptio complanata) and snails (Physella acuta) - were exposed for 28 days to PFAS spiked synthetic sediment equilibrated with a synthetic surface water.