Fate and effects of perfluoroalkyl substances and their precursors and alternatives in Norwegian marine environments and seafood species

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a large group of compounds, though the exact number remains unknown. These substances are of significant environmental concern due to their persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, and toxicity. In response, both fluorinated and non-fluorinated alternatives have been developed for applications such as firefighting foams. Moreover, unidentified organofluorine (UOF) substances have been detected in environmental and human samples, but their chemical structures and potential health effects remain largely unknown. The FEARLESS project seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps about the environmental fate and ecological impacts of PFAS and their alternatives in marine ecosystems. The project will examine the toxicity of PFAS and their alternatives through both controlled laboratory experiments and in situ field studies. Additionally, it will assess the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of these substances within marine food webs near PFAS point sources and evaluate the risks to commercially important marine species. Research will focus on Norwegian waters affected by firefighting foam contamination, including sites near Bergen Airport and offshore locations like the Ekofisk and Eldfisk oilfields, alongside well-characterized reference areas.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are anthropogenic chemicals consisting of more than 6000 compounds that have been identified as of very high environmental concern due to environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity. Consequently, various fluorinated and non-fluorinated alternative substances have been produced as replacements. However, recent studies have revealed the bioaccumulation potential of some of these alternatives. Additionally, recent studies have revealed the presence of unidentified organofluorine (UOF) substances in the environment including human samples whose health effects and chemical structures are unknown. Many knowledge gaps exist on the fate and effects of PFASs and their precursors and alternatives on marine organisms, and the information regarding the transfer and mass balance of UOF in the marine food webs is lacking. This project aims to improve our understanding of how marine organisms could be impacted by PFASs and their alternatives and to explore the transfer and transformation of unknown organofluorine substances in marine food webs. FEARLESS aims will assess the toxicity of PFAS and their alternatives under laboratory conditions as well as under field conditions. In addition, FEARLESS will analyze marine food web samples influenced by PFAS point sources in addition to seafood species including archived samples from remote regions influenced by diffuse sources for known PFAS, alternatives and UOF. Norwegian waters influenced by firefighting foams from an onshore (Bergen airport) and offshore point source (Ekofisk and Eldfisk oilfields) were chosen as our research platforms in addition to reference locations.