Comparison of the combined toxicity of PFOA and emerging alternatives: A comprehensive evaluation of oxidative damage, apoptosis and immunotoxicity in embryonic and adult zebrafish
Jingwen Zhang, Shuolin Zhang, Chengbo Lu, Xiaole Wang, Zhongkun Du, Jinhua Wang, Bing Li, Jun Wang, Lusheng Zhu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) are widely used substitutes to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Whether these substitutes are less toxic than PFOA remains unclear owing to differences in the experimental methods, test organisms, and other experimental conditions in previous studies. The present study selected 0.5 and 5 μg L–1 as the test concentrations and simultaneously compared the combined toxicity of the substitutes and PFOA in terms of oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, apoptosis, and immunotoxicity in two developmental stages of zebrafish (adult and embryos) under the same test conditions. The results indicated that in both adult and embryonic zebrafish, PFHxA, PFBA, and PFOA disrupt redox homeostasis, stimulate cell proliferation, and lead to carcinogenesis. The mechanisms by which PFHxA and PFOA induce neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity were similar. Molecular docking analysis showed that the substitutes and PFOA stably attached to proteins and changed their structure and function. The obtained integrated biomarker response index values indicated that the toxicity of PFHxA, PFBA, and PFOA in zebrafish increased with increasing concentrations; PFHxA was more toxic than PFOA. The present study clarified the ecotoxicity of PFHxA and PFBA in zebrafish and simultaneously compared the differences in toxicity between the substitutes and PFOA to zebrafish, providing a robust scientific basis for the clarification and selection of safe substitutes to PFOA.
期刊介绍:
Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include:
•Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management;
•Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure;
•Drinking water treatment and distribution;
•Potable and non-potable water reuse;
•Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment;
•Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions;
•Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment;
•Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution;
•Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation;
•Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts;
•Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle;
•Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.