Subscriber access provided by UNIV OF NEW ENGLAND ARMIDALE
Characterization of Natural and Affected Environments
Perfluoroalkyl Acids in European Starling Eggs Indicate Landfill and Urban Influences in Canadian Terrestrial Environments Sarah B Gewurtz, Pamela A. Martin, Robert J. Letcher, Neil M Burgess, Louise Champoux, John E. Elliott, and Abde Idrissi Environ. Sci. Technol., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06623 • Publication Date (Web): 17 Apr 2018 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on April 17, 2018
Just Accepted “Just Accepted” manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication. They are posted online prior to technical editing, formatting for publication and author proofing. The American Chemical Society provides “Just Accepted” as a service to the research community to expedite the dissemination of scientific material as soon as possible after acceptance. “Just Accepted” manuscripts appear in full in PDF format accompanied by an HTML abstract. “Just Accepted” manuscripts have been fully peer reviewed, but should not be considered the official version of record. They are citable by the Digital Object Identifier (DOI®). “Just Accepted” is an optional service offered to authors. Therefore, the “Just Accepted” Web site may not include all articles that will be published in the journal. After a manuscript is technically edited and formatted, it will be removed from the “Just Accepted” Web site and published as an ASAP article. Note that technical editing may introduce minor changes to the manuscript text and/or graphics which could affect content, and all legal disclaimers and ethical guidelines that apply to the journal pertain. ACS cannot be held responsible for errors or consequences arising from the use of information contained in these “Just Accepted” manuscripts.
is published by the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036 Published by American Chemical Society. Copyright © American Chemical Society. However, no copyright claim is made to original U.S. Government works, or works produced by employees of any Commonwealth realm Crown government in the course of their duties.
Page 1 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
1
Perfluoroalkyl Acids in European Starling Eggs
2
Indicate Landfill and Urban Influences in Canadian
3
Terrestrial Environments
4
Sarah B. Gewurtz,† Pamela A. Martin,*, ‡, Robert J. Letcher,*,§ Neil M. Burgess,ǁ Louise
5
Champoux,┴ John E. Elliott,# Abde Idrissi,∇ †
6 7
‡
310 Normandy Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario N2K 1X7, Canada
Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate,
8
Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario
9
L7S 1A1, Canada
10
§
Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate,
11
Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife
12
Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
13
ǁ
14
Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl,
15
Newfoundland A1N 4T3, Canada
Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate,
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
1
Environmental Science & Technology
16
┴
Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate,
17
Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Québec City
18
Québec G1J 0C3, Canada
19
#
Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate,
20
Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Wildlife
21
Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia V4K 3N2, Canada
22 23
Page 2 of 35
∇
Laboratory Services, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
24
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
2
Page 3 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
25
ABSTRACT: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were determined in European starling (Sturnus
26
vulgaris) eggs collected between 2009 and 2014 from industrial, rural/agricultural, and landfill
27
locations within five urban centers across Canada. Within each urban center, perfluoroalkyl
28
sulfonic acid (PFSA) concentrations were generally greater in starling eggs collected from
29
urban/industrial locations and PFSAs and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were
30
generally greater at landfills compared to rural and remote locations. However, the relative
31
importance of urban/industrial versus landfill locations as potential sources was chemical- and
32
location-specific. PFSA concentrations in eggs collected from non-landfills were positively
33
correlated with human population. Despite the 2000 to 2002 phase-out of perfluorooctane
34
sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its C8 precursors, leaching from consumer products during use likely
35
continues to be a major source to the environment. In comparison, the concentrations of most
36
PFCAs in eggs were not related to population, which supports the hypothesis that atmospheric
37
transport and degradation of precursor chemicals are influencing their spatial trends. PFAA
38
concentrations in eggs from landfills were not correlated with the quantity of waste received by a
39
given landfill.
40
composition of waste items.
The variability in PFAAs between landfills may be due to the specific
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
3
Environmental Science & Technology
41
Page 4 of 35
TABLE OF CONTENTS (TOC)/ABSTRACT ART
42 43
Landfill Industrial 10 km from urban center 40 km from urban center Remote
PFOS (ng/g wet weight)
Method Limit of Quantification Vancouver
103
103
102
102
101
101
100
100
10-1
10-1
104 103 102 101 100 10-1
Halifax
Calgary 102
103
101 100 10-1
Redcliff
104 103 102 101 100 10-1
Hamilton
Montreal
102 101 100 10-1
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
4
Page 5 of 35
44
Environmental Science & Technology
INTRODUCTION
45
Concern over perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) has increased dramatically since 2016 due in part
46
to the lowering of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) drinking water
47
advisory level to 70 ng/L for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid
48
(PFOA).1 Several U.S. States and other countries, including Canada, have also recently released
49
new guidance and/or regulatory standards for a variety of media.2 Despite regulatory and
50
voluntary actions for these chemicals,3-6 a recent study found that the drinking water supply of
51
approximately six million U.S. residents may have concentrations of PFOS and PFOA above the
52
USEPA advisory level of 70 ng/L.7
53
Identification of sources of PFAAs to the environment is important for controlling
54
environmental releases. Although several large-scale studies have examined sources to surface
55
and drinking water and aquatic biota,7-9 comparable information is not available on a continental
56
scale for the terrestrial environment and biota, which may differ from water.10 This information
57
is needed for risk and hazard assessments on PFAAs as well as development of regulatory
58
guidelines and standards that are focused on terrestrial-based ecological receptors, which are
59
known information gaps.2,11-13
60
In Canada, where PFAAs were not historically and are not currently manufactured,14,15 release
61
from currently used commercial materials that were manufactured prior to phase-outs and
62
regulations16,17 as well as following disposal, e.g., in landfills,18-20 are expected to be major
63
environmental sources. Landfills are known sources of PFAAs to the aqueous environment20-22
64
and the atmosphere.19,23 However, the impact of landfills is not clear as to PFAA concentrations
65
observed in the terrestrial environment and in comparison to non-point sources related to human
66
population.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
5
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 6 of 35
67
Large geographical scale monitoring programs using European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) eggs
68
are effective in evaluating spatial trends and identification of contaminant sources on local,24
69
national,25 and international26 scales. Starlings live up to 15 years in the wild and produce, on
70
average, five eggs per season.27 They feed primarily on invertebrates in the upper few
71
centimeters of soil during nesting season.28 This species is an income breeder and uses daily
72
food intake to provide energy for eggs.29 Their home range is typically between 5 to 40 km,30
73
but can be reduced by as much as 10-times during breeding season when the starlings forage
74
closer to the nest site.31,32 Therefore, PFAA concentrations in starling eggs reflect recent and
75
local exposure.26 They prefer habitats close to humans,28 nest in man-made boxes, and breeding
76
populations can be readily established.24,26
77
The objective of this study was to use a large North American transcontinental dataset of
78
European starling eggs to test the hypothesis that the waste sector and non-point sources related
79
to human population influence the spatial variability of PFAA concentrations in the terrestrial
80
environment. Particularly, we collected starling eggs from urban/industrial, rural/agricultural,
81
and landfill locations associated with five Canadian urban centers to evaluate the overall
82
influence of human activity and proximity to landfills on PFAAs found in the terrestrial
83
environment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess PFAA concentrations in a
84
terrestrial organism on a continental scale.
85 86
MATERIALS AND METHODS
87
Sample Collection. Freshly laid starling eggs were collected between 2009 and 2012 and in
88
2014 from nest boxes established within, adjacent to, and distant from five major urban centers
89
across Canada, namely Vancouver, BC, Calgary, AB, Hamilton, ON, Montreal, QC, and Halifax,
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
6
Page 7 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
90
NS (Figure SI1 and Table SI1). Within each urban center, locations were categorized as one of
91
four location type: urban industrial (districts of industrial activity within city limits), landfill
92
(adjacent to cities), and rural sites located 10 and 40 km from major urban centers (typically in
93
agricultural areas). It should be noted that the industrial location in Vancouver was close to the
94
city limits in a light industrial area with agricultural activity nearby. A more suitable industrial
95
area that would support a sufficient starling population could not be found in Vancouver due to
96
the absence of grassed areas within industrial parks. A non-urban/non-landfill prairie location
97
(Redcliff, AB) was chosen as an overall national reference location given that starlings do not
98
nest in more remote locations. Starling nest boxes (25-30 per location) had been established at
99
each location in 2008 and monitored each year for occupancy and onset of egg laying. On each
100
sampling event, one to five eggs were randomly collected per nest box after at least three eggs
101
had been laid, depending on the number of occupied boxes available to select from at the
102
location.
103
Upon collection, the eggs were transported to Environment and Climate Change Canada's
104
National Wildlife Specimen Bank (ECCC-NWSB, Ottawa, ON, Canada), homogenized, and
105
stored at -40 ºC until analysis. The eggs were homogenized in pools of up to 13 and we aimed
106
for five or more pools, depending on the number of starling eggs collected (Table SI1). Pools
107
were created from adjacent nest boxes.
108
Chemical and Instrumental Analysis. The PFAAs and isotopically labeled surrogates that
109
were evaluated in this study are listed in Table SI2. The sample extraction and cleanup and
110
instrumental analysis have been described previously in extensive detail.33-36 Eggs collected in
111
2009 to 2012 were analyzed by the Organic Contaminants Research Laboratory (OCRL) at
112
ECCC's National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) and the instrument used was a Waters 2695
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
7
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 8 of 35
113
HPLC that was coupled to a Waters Quattro Ultima triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Eggs
114
collected in 2014 were analyzed by the Lab Services section at ECCC's NWRC and the
115
instrument used was an Agilent/AB-Sciex HPLC-MS/MS system. PFAA concentrations are
116
presented on wet weight basis since PFAAs were not correlated to extractable lipid content in the
117
eggs. Full details of the PFAA sample analyses, quality control, and calculation of the method
118
limits of detection (MLODs) and quantification (MLOQs) can be found in the Supporting
119
Information.
120
Data Analysis. Data analysis was performed on PFAAs detected in greater than 60 % of the
121
samples, namely perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), PFOS, perfluorodecane sulfonic acid
122
(PFDS),
123
perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluorotridecanoic
124
acid (PFTrDA), and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA) (Table SI4). Robust Regression on
125
Order Statistics (ROS) were used for non-detect handling, as recommended by Helsel37 for
126
relatively small sample sizes and datasets containing up to 80 % censoring.
PFOA,
perfluorononanoic
acid
(PFNA),
perfluorodecanoic
acid
(PFDA),
127
Principal component analysis (PCA) on log-normalized concentrations was conducted to
128
explore overall spatial patterns. Factor loadings were rotated using the Varimax normalized
129
rotation. Two factors were retained based on the results of the Scree test, which accounted for
130
87 % of the variance in the model.
131
Linear mixed effect models (LMEMs) were used to assess PFAA concentration patterns in
132
starling eggs with location type and urban center as fixed variables and year as a random
133
variable.38-40 Parameter concentrations were log-transformed to approximate normality (Shapiro-
134
Wilk, p > 0.05). The Vancouver urban center was not included in the LMEM analysis given that
135
the 10 km rural location type was not evaluated within this urban center (Table SI1). The
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
8
Page 9 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
136
optimal model was selected on the basis of consistency with Zuur et al.39 For each PFAA, we
137
started with a model where the fixed component contained the two explanatory variables and the
138
interaction term.
139
identified using the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimation likelihood ratio test and
140
Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC). We then identified the optimal/most parsimonious fixed
141
structure using the maximum likelihood estimation likelihood ratio test and AIC.39 After model
142
selection, the optimal/most parsimonious model was refitted using REML estimation. The
143
residuals of candidate and optimal models were inspected for homogeneity and normality. For
144
each PFAA, the optimal/most parsimonious model contained location type and urban center and
145
their interaction as fixed factors. Therefore, simple main effects ANOVAs were used to test for
146
significant differences in log-transformed PFAA concentrations between locations within each
147
urban center. In addition, within each location, simple main effects ANOVAs were used to test
148
for significant differences between years for locations/years with three or more pooled replicate
149
samples. Unplanned multiple comparisons were performed using the Tukey test. Log-linear
150
regression on annual mean concentrations was used to determine if concentrations increased or
151
decreased with time.
The optimal/most parsimonious structure of the random component was
152
In order to explore the influence of human activity on PFAA concentrations, the Pearson
153
correlation coefficient (r) was used to test the significance of log-log linear correlations between
154
human population and median PFAA concentrations in starling eggs. The estimated population
155
of each non-landfill location is presented in Table SI5. Landfill locations were excluded from
156
this analysis due to their potential to act as point sources distinct from the influence of
157
population, as discussed below. The Pearson correlation coefficient was also used to test the
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
9
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 10 of 35
158
significance of log-log correlations between landfill fill rate (Table SI6) and median PFAA
159
concentrations in starling eggs.
160
The LMEMs were constructed in R Version 3.2.3 using the lme function (nlme package).41,42
161
All other statistical analyses were performed using Statistica 7.0 (Stats Soft Inc., Tusla, OK,
162
USA) at the α = 0.05 significance level. Additional technical details of the statistical analyses are
163
presented in the Supporting Information.
164 165
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
166
Overall Spatial Assessment. The spatial distribution of PFAAs in European starling eggs
167
collected across Canada is presented in Table SI7 and Figure SI2. Figure 1 summarizes the
168
results for five representative PFAAs for all sampling years combined. The concentrations of
169
PFAAs in starling eggs were consistently elevated at the Brantford landfill (ON). The PCA
170
conducted on log-normalized concentrations (Figure 2) grouped the Brantford landfill separately
171
from the other locations, with relatively high scores for both factor 1 and factor 2, which were
172
generally associated with perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic
173
acids (PFSAs), respectively. Interestingly, other than the Brantford landfill, the PCA conducted
174
on log-normalized concentrations (Figure 2) grouped locations within each urban center,
175
indicating spatially distinct sources.
176
The results of the LMEM showed that the optimal/most parsimonious model contained the
177
interaction term for urban center and location type for all PFAAs (see Supporting Information for
178
detailed information on model selection including AIC values and results of likelihood ratio
179
tests). The random factor of year was included in the optimal/most parsimonious model, which
180
explained between 1.3 and 36 % of the total variation in the model (see Supporting Information
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
10
Page 11 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
181
for presentation of results). The simple main effects ANOVAs within urban center with location
182
as a fixed factor showed that PFSA concentrations were generally greater at industrial location
183
types and both PFSAs and PFCAs were generally greater at landfills compared to rural location
184
types, especially in Vancouver, Calgary, and Halifax, although the specific patterns varied
185
between urban center. A detailed description of PFAA concentrations within each urban center
186
and discussion of composition patterns of PFAAs are presented in the Supporting Information.
187
Groffen et al.13 recently compiled data from previous studies (including their own) that
188
evaluated PFAA concentrations in passerine birds. PFAA concentrations observed in the present
189
starling eggs from the Brantford landfill were higher than any previously reported levels in
190
passerine birds except for eggs of great tits (Parus major) collected near a fluorochemical plant
191
in Flanders, Belgium in 2011.13 The median PFOS concentration of 10,380 ng/g found in eggs
192
of great tits near this fluorochemical plant was among the highest ever recorded in bird eggs
193
(including aquatic and terrestrial) and almost an order of magnitude greater than the present
194
Brantford landfill starling eggs (median across all years = 1,018 ng/g). The median PFHxS
195
concentration of 99.3 ng/g in the same great tit eggs was also approximately an order of
196
magnitude greater than in starling eggs at the Brantford landfill (median across all years = 7.8
197
ng/g). However, the median PFDS and PFOA concentrations were comparable between the two
198
studies. Concentrations of the other longer-chain PFCAs at the fluorochemical plant were less
199
than at the Brantford landfill and comparable to those observed at the other landfill and industrial
200
location types in the current study.
201
fluorochemical plant was owned by the 3M Company, and likely produced PFOS, PFHxS,
202
PFOA, PFDS and related precursors, prior to their phase-outs.3,43,44 In comparison, emissions
203
from landfills are impacted by domestic, commercial, and industrial products.45 The PFAA
This result is likely explained by the fact that the
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
11
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 12 of 35
204
concentrations in starling eggs at other locations in this study fell within the range of previously
205
observed levels.13
206
Significant differences in log-transformed PFAA concentrations were observed among
207
sampling years for most locations/chemicals (ANOVA, 0.0017 ≤ F ≤ 549; n = 6 to 41, p-values
208
range from less than 0.001 to 0.99; see Supporting Information for specific values and degrees of
209
freedom of F-statistic). Despite these time-differences, the overall spatial trends were consistent
210
between years (Figure SI2). The use of PFOS and PFOA and related precursors have been
211
phased-out and regulated beginning in 2000 and 2006, respectively. However, significant
212
increasing or decreasing trends between the 2009 and 2014 time period were observed for some
213
chemicals/locations but not others (log-linear regression, 0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.99; 0.07 ≤ r2 ≤ 0.99 - see
214
Supporting Information for exact values and additional information). More than five years of
215
data are typically required to detect the changes in PFAA concentrations observed in the
216
environment.36,46 Continued monitoring of PFAAs in starling eggs is required to achieve a
217
database capable of detecting long-term temporal trends.
218
Influence of Human Population. For PFHxS, PFOS, and PFDS, when south of Indus (AB)
219
was qualitatively excluded as an outlier following review of Figure 3 and Figure SI4,47,48 there
220
was a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between median starling egg concentration and human
221
population (see Supporting Information for specific results). The median PFHxS, PFOS, and
222
PFDS concentrations in starling eggs collected from south of Indus were relatively high (2.69,
223
162, and 27 ng/g, respectively) compared to the assumed population for Indus of 45 as reported
224
by Statistics Canada49 in the 2011 census. However, as discussed in the Supporting Information,
225
the starling eggs collected from south of Indus had PFAA concentrations that were comparable
226
to the industrial and landfill location types in Calgary, which has a much greater population of
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
12
Page 13 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
227
1,096,833 (Table SI5).49 The south of Indus location is 10 km east of Calgary, which is within
228
the home range of the starlings.50 Furthermore, the prevailing wind direction in this area is west
229
to east which could lead to atmospheric transport of PFAAs (either from their precursors in the
230
gas phase or PFAAs on particles) from Calgary to south of Indus.50,51 However, in our previous
231
study,25 the range of the sum of polybrominated diphenyl ether (ΣPBDE) concentrations (20 ng/g
232
to 95 ng/g) determined in 15 pooled starling eggs collected from south of Indus in
233
2009/2010/2011 was lower than in five pooled starling eggs collected from Calgary (95 ng/g to
234
135 ng/g). Given that PBDEs are also influenced by non-point sources associated with human
235
population,25 the elevated PFHxS, PFOS and PFDS in starling eggs collected from south of Indus
236
were not likely due to sources originating from Calgary as this would have a similar influence on
237
both classes of chemicals. It should be noted that south of Indus is an agricultural area southeast
238
of a small airport. However, to our knowledge, there have been no fire training activities or
239
accidents at this airport that could have released PFOS-containing aqueous film-forming foam
240
(AFFF) to the environment.13,52,53 Therefore, our results suggest that starling eggs from south of
241
Indus are influenced by an unidentified point source and this requires further study.
242
The r-value for the correlation between population size and concentrations of PFHxS (0.55),
243
PFOS (0.64), and PFDS (0.62) in starling eggs, even with the exclusion of south of Indus, may
244
be influenced by the fact that PFSA emissions are not always connected to the assumed
245
population of a given location (see Supporting Information for specific results). For example,
246
although St. George (ON) has a relatively small population of 3,124,49 this town is located in
247
highly urbanized southern Ontario that is 10 km from Hamilton. In addition, due to lack of
248
information, the populations of Oakfield and Graves Island Provincial Parks (NS) of 3,892 and
249
10,599, respectively, were estimated from Enfield and Chester, which are located 5 km and 3 km
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
13
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 14 of 35
250
away, respectively. However, it is likely that emissions of PFHxS, PFOS, and PFDS to the
251
environment in these Provincial Parks are over-estimated by their assumed population. As
252
discussed in the Supporting Information, PFAA concentrations were comparable across the
253
Montreal urban center, which also weakened the PFHxS/PFOS/PFDS relationship with
254
population. The fact that a significant correlation was found between population size and
255
concentrations of PFHxS, PFOS, and PFDS (0.55 ≤ r ≤ 0.64; p < 0.05; see Supporting
256
Information for specific results), despite these potential outliers that were not considered in the
257
analysis, provides strong evidence of human population being a substantial factor influencing the
258
extent of PFHxS, PFOS, and PFDS released to the terrestrial environment. Human population
259
was also found to influence PBDE concentrations in starling eggs collected between 2009 and
260
2011 at the same locations as this study.25 In addition, the spatial distribution of PFOS in air,
261
water, sediment, fish, and birds across Canada between 2006 and 2011 was generally related to
262
urbanization.54 Route et al.55 also found elevated PFOS and PFDS in blood plasma of bald eagle
263
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nestlings collected near urban compared to remote locations, which
264
they attributed to effluent from municipal wastewater systems and industrial waste. Although
265
regulatory action and phase-outs for PFOS and its precursors began in 2000 in North America,
266
ongoing releases from consumer products likely continue to be sources to the environment.17,56,57
267
Less is known about PFHxS and PFDS compared to PFOS. However, PFHxS and PFDS are
268
commercially relevant, have been found in PFOS formulations as impurities, and were included
269
in the 2000-2002 voluntary phase-out by the 3M Company.3,44,58
270
In contrast to PFSAs, the correlation between population size and concentrations of all PFCAs
271
(-0.051 ≤ r ≤ 0.42; p > 0.05), except PFDA (r = 0.58, p = 0.03) in starling eggs was not
272
significant with or without including south of Indus in the regression (see Supporting
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
14
Page 15 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
273
Information for specific results). These results are surprising given that PFCAs, like PFOS and
274
PFDS, also continue to be present in commercial products,16,56,57 which are likely sources to the
275
environment. However, they are consistent with PFAA trends reported in our previous studies
276
on Canadian air, surface water, sediment, top predator fish, and gull (Larid) eggs.36,54 We
277
hypothesize that atmospheric transport and degradation of precursor chemicals, such as
278
fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), are influencing the spatial trends of PFCAs in the Canadian
279
terrestrial environment. FTOHs are released from commercial products57,59-61 and are commonly
280
detected in ambient air.19,62,63 FTOHs are degraded atmospherically and biologically64-66 to
281
PFCAs and are sufficiently volatile and persistent in the atmosphere to reach remote locations
282
from source regions in a period of days to weeks.67,68
283
Influence of Landfills. In our previous complementary study, ANOVA revealed significant
284
differences in ΣPBDE concentrations between location types in starling eggs collected from the
285
same locations as this study (F3,44 = 7.4, p < 0.001).25 Scheffe’s post hoc analysis further
286
indicated that eggs collected from landfills contained significantly greater (p < 0.001) ΣPBDE
287
concentrations than those from other location types.25 In a second complementary study, median
288
volatile methylsiloxane concentrations in starling eggs collected from the same locations as this
289
study were one to two orders of magnitude greater at landfills compared to other location types.69
290
The impact of landfills on PFAAs detected in starling eggs was not as clear as for PBDEs and
291
volatile methylsiloxanes. For example, the concentrations of PFAAs in starling eggs were
292
consistently elevated at the Brantford landfill compared to all other locations, as illustrated by
293
the results of the PCA (Figure 2; also see discussion on PFAA concentrations within each urban
294
center in the Supporting Information). The PCA also grouped the Delta landfill (BC) and Otter
295
Lake Waste Facility (NS) separately from other land use types, illustrating that they were sources
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
15
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 16 of 35
296
of PFSAs/PFCAs (Delta landfill) or PFCAs only (Otter Lake Waste Facility) to the terrestrial
297
environment. However, PFAA concentrations and patterns in pooled starling egg samples from
298
the Calgary (AB), Halton (ON), and Stoney Creek (ON) landfills were comparable to those
299
measured in industrial areas. In addition, PFAAs in starlings from the Lachenaie landfill (QC)
300
were similar to those measured at other land use types in the Montreal urban center.
301
The source of PFAAs emitted from landfills is likely from disposed commercial products
302
containing PFAAs and/or their precursors.18 The PFAAs and/or precursors at landfill locations
303
are released to the atmosphere,19,23 which may be subsequently deposited and bioaccumulated in
304
starlings. PFAAs can also leach from solid waste particles into open air.23 Biotransport from the
305
landfills may influence contaminant concentrations in starling eggs since the organic material in
306
landfills could attract a variety of organisms seeking food25,70 which could then be consumed by
307
starlings. Chen et al.25 found that PBDE concentrations in starling eggs collected at the landfills
308
were correlated with the quantity of waste received. However, PFAA concentrations in the
309
starling eggs and the rate at which landfills are filled were not correlated (-0.59 ≤ r ≤ -0.27; p >
310
0.05; see Supporting Information for specific results) for any of the PFAAs (Figure 4, Figure
311
SI5, Table SI6), which is similar to what was observed for volatile methylsiloxanes.69 PFAA
312
concentrations in air and leachate samples were also highly variable between landfills.19,21,23,45,54
313
Therefore, the variability observed in starling eggs collected at landfills is not surprising and may
314
depend on the specific composition of waste objects received and/or the years since the waste
315
was added to the landfill.45
316
methylsiloxanes in starling eggs collected at the Brantford landfill were either comparable or less
317
than at the other landfills.25,69 This suggests that the sources of PFAAs to the Brantford landfill
318
did not contain similarly elevated levels of flame retardants and volatile methylsiloxanes.
Interestingly, concentrations of flame retardants and volatile
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
16
Page 17 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
319
Furthermore, factors such as the size of the active dumping area, presence of engineering
320
features within the landfill (e.g., liner or cover material), and/or local climate conditions are not
321
likely responsible for the relatively elevated PFAA concentrations observed at the Brantford
322
landfill since these factors would have an effect on PFAAs and at least some flame retardants
323
and/or volatile methylsiloxanes (depending on their physical-chemical properties).
324
Toxicological Considerations. PFOS concentrations in the starling eggs were below the Draft
325
(Canadian) Federal Environmental Quality Guideline (FEQG) of 1900 ng/g developed by ECCC
326
at all locations except for the Brantford landfill (Figure 1). At the Brantford landfill, there was
327
one sample (analyzed in 2010) that contained a PFOS concentration of 1998 ng/g, which is
328
marginally above the FEQG. However, a field-based study on tree swallows reported decreased
329
hatching success at a PFOS concentration as low as 150 ng/g in eggs.71 This level was exceeded
330
in 17 % of the starling egg samples, particularly those collected at industrial and landfill location
331
types. There is less toxicological information available for PFAAs other than PFOS. However,
332
O'Brien et al.72 determined a no observed adverse effect level of 10,000 ng/g for PFUnDA and
333
PFDS for pipping success in chicken eggs, which was not exceeded in any of the starling eggs.
334
Implications. In this first evaluation, to our knowledge, of PFAA concentrations in terrestrial
335
biota on a continental scale, we found that non-point sources associated with human population
336
influence the concentrations of PFSAs and landfills influence the concentrations of PFSAs
337
and/or PFCAs in the terrestrial environment. However, the relative importance of these two
338
sources varies between location and chemical. The difference in the relative contribution of
339
landfills to the PFAA concentrations found in the terrestrial environment was not correlated with
340
landfill fill rate, similar to what was observed for volatile methylsiloxanes but not PBDEs,25,69
341
and likely relates to the specific composition of waste objects received and/or the years since the
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
17
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 18 of 35
342
waste was added to the landfill. We predict that the relative importance of landfills as a source
343
of PFAAs to the terrestrial environment will increase as in-use consumer products reach the end
344
of their lifetime and are disposed of in landfills.45,73
345
For non-landfill locations, our study found that sources of PFSAs and PFCAs to the terrestrial
346
environment differ. PFHxS, PFOS, and PFDS concentrations in starling eggs collected from
347
non-landfill locations were positively correlated with human population. Despite the 2000-2002
348
phase-out of PFOS and its precursors, ongoing losses from consumer products likely continue to
349
be major sources to the environment and impact concentrations in populated regions.
350
comparison, concentrations of most PFCAs in starling eggs were not related to population,
351
indicating that atmospheric transport and degradation of precursor chemicals are influencing the
352
spatial trends of PFCAs in terrestrial wildlife.
In
353
PFOS concentrations in starling eggs collected from some of the landfills and industrial areas
354
exceeded concentrations that are associated with decreased hatching success. Continued long-
355
term monitoring is recommended in order to achieve a dataset with sufficient power to track the
356
impact of voluntary and regulatory measures on PFAA concentrations observed in the terrestrial
357
environment, particularly in urban areas and by landfill locations.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
18
Page 19 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
358
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
359
Supporting Information.
360
The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS Publications website at DOI:
361
Additional analytical details, technical details on the application and selection of the optimal
362
LMEM, discussion on PFAAs within each urban center, compositional patterns of PFAAs, time
363
trends, correlation between PFAAs and population and landfill fill rate, tabulation of locations,
364
PFAAs examined in this study, MLODs and MLOQs, estimated human population for non-
365
landfill location types, fill rates for landfills, summary statistics of PFAA concentrations,
366
locations of the five urban centers, box and whisker plots, compositional profiles of PFAAs,
367
PFAA concentrations versus human population and landfill fill rate.
368
AUTHOR INFORMATION
369
Corresponding Authors
370
*(P.M.) Phone: 905-336-4879; email:
[email protected] 371
*(R.J.L) Phone: 613-998-6696; email:
[email protected] 372
Notes
373
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
374 375
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
376
This study was financially supported by the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP; ECCC) (to
377
P.A.M). ECCC staff and all those involved in egg collections and processing are thanked,
378
especially Sandi Lee, Glenn Barrett, Kimberly O’Hare and Kyna Intini of Ecotoxicology and
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
19
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 20 of 35
379
Wildlife Health Division of ECCC. Other field partners include Dr. Pauline Brousseau and
380
students from INRS – Institut Armand Frappier (Laval, QC), Dr. Colleen Barber and students of
381
St. Mary’s University (Halifax, NS), and Rob Wapple of Kingbird Consulting (Medicine Hat,
382
AB). Shane de Solla of ECCC is thanked for statistical advice. We thank Kimberley Hughes
383
(on contract to ECCC) for data management as well as David Blair in the OCRL /Letcher Group
384
and François Cyr in Lab Services at the NWRC for PFAA analysis.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
20
Page 21 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
385
REFERENCES
386
(1)
USEPA Fact sheet: PFOA & PFOS drinking water health advisories; 2016;
387
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-
388
06/documents/drinkingwaterhealthadvisories_pfoa_pfos_updated_5.31.16.pdf.
389
(2)
Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council PFAS — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl
390
Substances: Regulations, guidance, and advisories; 2017; http://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/fact-
391
sheets/.
392
(3)
Buck, R. C.; Franklin, J.; Berger, U.; Conder, J. M.; Cousins, I. T.; de Voogt, P.; Jensen,
393
A. A.; Kannan, K.; Mabury, S. A.; van Leeuwen, S. P. J. Perfluoroalkyl and
394
polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: terminology, classification, and origins.
395
Integr. Environ. Assess. Manag. 2011, 7 (4), 513-541.
396
(4)
Vierke, L.; Staude, C.; Biegel-Engler, A.; Drost, W.; Schulte, C. Perfluorooctanoic acid
397
(PFOA) — main concerns and regulatory developments in Europe from an environmental
398
point of view. Environ. Sci. Eur. 2012, 24 (1), 1-11.
399
(5)
400 401
Government of Canada Regulations amending the prohibition of certain toxic substances regulations, 2012. Canada Gazette Part I 2015, Vol. 149, No. 14.
(6)
USEPA
Per-
and
polyfluoroalkyl
substances
(PFASs)
under
TSCA;
2016;
402
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/and-polyfluoroalkyl-
403
substances-pfass-under-tsca.
404
(7)
Hu, X. C.; Andrews, D. Q.; Lindstrom, A. B.; Bruton, T. A.; Schaider, L. A.; Grandjean,
405
P.; Lohmann, R.; Carignan, C. C.; Blum, A.; Balan, S. A.; Higgins, C. P.; Sunderland, E.
406
M. Detection of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in U.S. drinking water
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
21
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 22 of 35
407
linked to industrial sites, military fire training areas, and wastewater treatment plants.
408
Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2016, 3 (10), 344-350.
409
(8)
410 411
PFOA. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43 (24), 9237-9244. (9)
412 413
Pistocchi, A.; Loos, R. A map of European emissions and concentrations of PFOS and
Ahrens, L.; Bundschuh, M. Fate and effects of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the aquatic environment: A review. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2014, 33 (9), 1921-1929.
(10)
Liu, Z.; Lu, Y.; Wang, P.; Wang, T.; Liu, S.; Johnson, A. C.; Sweetman, A. J.; Baninla,
414
Y. Pollution pathways and release estimation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and
415
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in central and eastern China. Sci. Total. Environ. 2017,
416
580, 1247-1256.
417
(11)
Butt, C. M.; Berger, U.; Bossi, R.; Tomy, G. T. Levels and trends of poly- and
418
perfluorinated compounds in the Arctic environment. Sci. Total Environ. 2010, 408 (15),
419
2936-2965.
420
(12)
421 422
McCarthy, C.; Kappleman, W.; DiGuiseppi, W. Ecological considerations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Current Pollution Reports 2017, 3 (4), 289–301.
(13)
Groffen, T.; Lopez-Antia, A.; D'Hollander, W.; Prinsen, E.; Eens, M.; Bervoets, L.
423
Perfluoroalkylated acids in the eggs of great tits (Parus major) near a fluorochemical
424
plant in Flanders, Belgium. Environ. Pollut. 2017, 228, 140-148.
425
(14)
Environment Canada Ecological screening assessment report on perfluorooctane
426
sulfonate, its salts and its precursors that contain the C8F17SO2 or C8F17SO3 or
427
C8F17SO2N
428
cepa/default.asp?lang=En&n=98B1954A-1.
moiety;
2006;
http://www.ec.gc.ca/lcpe-
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
22
Page 23 of 35
429
Environmental Science & Technology
(15)
Environment
Canada
and
Health
Canada
Screening
assessment
report
-
430
Perfluorooctanoic acid, its salts, and its precursors; 2012; http://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-
431
ees/370AB133-3972-454F-A03A-F18890B58277/PFOA_EN.pdf.
432
(16)
Wang, Z.; Cousins, I. T.; Scheringer, M.; Buck, R. C.; Hungerbuhler, K. Global emission
433
inventories for C4-C14 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (PFCA) homologues from 1951 to
434
2030, Part I: production and emissions from quantifiable sources. Environ. Int. 2014, 70,
435
62-75.
436
(17)
Paul, A. G.; Jones, K. C.; Sweetman, A. J. A first global production, emission, and
437
environmental inventory for perfluorooctane sulfonate. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43
438
(2), 386-392.
439
(18)
Lang, J. R.; Allred, B. M.; Peaslee, G. F.; Field, J. A.; Barlaz, M. A. Release of per-and
440
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from carpet and clothing in model anaerobic landfill
441
reactors. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2016, 50 (10), 5024-5032.
442
(19)
Ahrens, L.; Shoeib, M.; Harner, T.; Lee, S. C.; Guo, R.; Reiner, E. J. Wastewater
443
treatment plant and landfills as sources of polyfluoroalkyl compounds to the atmosphere.
444
Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45 (19), 8098-8105.
445
(20)
Benskin, J. P.; Li, B.; Ikonomou, M. G.; Grace, J. R.; Li, L. Y. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl
446
substances in landfill leachate: patterns, time trends, and sources. Environ. Sci. Technol.
447
2012, 46 (21), 11532-11540.
448
(21)
Fuertes, I.; Gomez-Lavin, S.; Elizalde, M.; Urtiaga, A. Perfluorinated alkyl substances
449
(PFASs) in northern Spain municipal solid waste landfill leachates. Chemosphere 2017,
450
168, 399-407.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
23
Environmental Science & Technology
451
(22)
Page 24 of 35
Yan, H.; Cousins, I. T.; Zhang, C.; Zhou, Q. Perfluoroalkyl acids in municipal landfill
452
leachates from China: Occurrence, fate during leachate treatment and potential impact on
453
groundwater. Sci. Total Environ. 2015, 524, 23-31.
454
(23)
Weinberg, I.; Dreyer, A.; Ebinghaus, R. Landfills as sources of polyfluorinated
455
compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and musk fragrances to ambient air. Atmos.
456
Environ. 2011, 45 (4), 935-941.
457
(24)
Arenal, C. A.; Halbrook, R. S.; Woodruff, M. European starling (Sturnus vulgaris): avian
458
model and monitor of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination at a Superfund site in
459
southern Illinois, USA. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2004, 23 (1), 93-104.
460
(25)
Chen, D.; Martin, P.; Burgess, N. M.; Champoux, L.; Elliott, J. E.; Forsyth, D. J.; Idrissi,
461
A.; Letcher, R. J. European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) suggest that landfills are an
462
important source of bioaccumulative flame retardants to Canadian terrestrial ecosystems.
463
Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47 (21), 12238-12247.
464
(26)
Eens, M.; Jaspers, V. L.; Van den Steen, E.; Bateson, M.; Carere, C.; Clergeau, P.;
465
Costantini, D.; Dolenec, Z.; Elliott, J. E.; Flux, J. Can starling eggs be useful as a
466
biomonitoring tool to study organohalogenated contaminants on a worldwide scale?
467
Environ. Int. 2013, 51, 141-149.
468
(27)
469 470
473
J.
"Sturnus
vulgaris"
(On-line),
Animal
diversity
web.;
2000;
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sturnus_vulgaris/. (28)
471 472
Chow,
Government of Western Australia Common Starling; Department of Agriculture and Food: 2016; https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/birds/common-starling?page=0%2C0.
(29)
Meijer, T.; Drent, R. Re-examination of the capital and income dichotomy in breeding birds. Ibis 1999, 141 (3), 399-414.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
24
Page 25 of 35
474
Environmental Science & Technology
(30)
Ransome, D. B. Investigation of starling populations in British Columbia and assessment
475
of the feasibility of a trapping program in the lower mainland; British Columbia
476
Blueberry
477
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-
478
and-seafood/agricultural-land-and-environment/strengthening-farming/670300-
479
3_investigation_of_starling_populations_in_bc.pdf.
480
(31)
481 482
Council:
Abbotsford,
British
Columbia,
2010;
Tinbergen, J. M. Foraging decisions in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris L.). Ardea 1981, 69, 167.
(32)
Australian Government Ecology and management of the common starling (Sturnus
483
vulgaris) in the McLaren Vale region; 2005; http://research.wineaustralia.com/wp-
484
content/uploads/2012/09/finalreport.pdf.
485
(33)
Chu, S.; Letcher, R. J. Analysis of fluorotelomer alcohols and perfluorinated
486
sulfonamides in biotic samples by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure
487
photoionization mass spectrometry. J. Chromatogr. A 2008, 1215 (1), 92-99.
488
(34)
Gebbink, W. A.; Letcher, R. J.; Burgess, N. M.; Champoux, L.; Elliott, J. E.; Hebert, C.
489
E.; Martin, P.; Wayland, M.; Weseloh, D. V. C.; Wilson, L. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylates
490
and sulfonates and precursors in relation to dietary source tracers in the eggs of four
491
species of gulls (Larids) from breeding sites spanning Atlantic to Pacific Canada.
492
Environ. Int. 2011, 37 (7), 1175-1182.
493
(35)
Gebbink, W. A.; Letcher, R. J.; Hebert, C. E.; Weseloh, D. V. Twenty years of temporal
494
change in perfluoroalkyl sulfonate and carboxylate contaminants in Herring Gull eggs
495
from the Laurentian Great Lakes. J. Environ. Monit. 2011, 13 (12), 3365-3372.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
25
Environmental Science & Technology
496
(36)
Page 26 of 35
Gewurtz, S. B.; Martin, P. A.; Letcher, R. J.; Burgess, N. M.; Champoux, L.; Elliott, J.
497
E.; Weseloh, D. V. C. Spatio-temporal trends and monitoring design of perfluoroalkyl
498
acids in the eggs of gull (Larid) species from across Canada and parts of the United
499
States. Sci. Total Environ. 2016, 565, 440-450.
500
(37)
501 502
Helsel, D. R. Statistics for censored environmental data using Minitab and R; Wiley: Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, 2012.
(38)
Bustnes, J. O.; Bårdsen, B. J.; Herzke, D.; Johnsen, T. V.; Eulaers, I.; Ballesteros, M.;
503
Hanssen, S. A.; Covaci, A.; Jaspers, V. L. B.; Eens, M.; Sonne, C.; Halley, D.; Moum, T.;
504
Nøst, T. H.; Erikstad, K. E.; Ims, R. A. Plasma concentrations of organohalogenated
505
pollutants in predatory bird nestlings: Associations to growth rate and dietary tracers.
506
Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013, 32 (11), 2520-2527.
507
(39)
508 509
Zuur, A. F.; Ieno, E. N.; Walker, N. J.; Saveliev, A. A.; Smith, G. M. Mixed effect models and extensions in ecology with R; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 2009.
(40)
Eulaers, I.; Jaspers, V. L. B.; Bustnes, J. O.; Covaci, A.; Johnsen, T. V.; Halley, D. J.;
510
Moum, T.; Ims, R. A.; Hanssen, S. A.; Erikstad, K. E.; Herzke, D.; Sonne, C.;
511
Ballesteros, M.; Pinxten, R.; Eens, M. Ecological and spatial factors drive intra- and
512
interspecific variation in exposure of subarctic predatory bird nestlings to persistent
513
organic pollutants. Environ. Int. 2013, 57-58, 25-33.
514
(41)
515 516 517
R Core Team R: A language and environment for statistical computing.; R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria, 2015.
(42)
Pinheiro, J.; Bates, D.; DebRoy, S.; Sarkar, D.; R Core Team nlme: Linear and nonlinear mixed effects models, R package version 3.1-122, 2015.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
26
Page 27 of 35
518
Environmental Science & Technology
(43)
Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council History and Use of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl
519
Substances
520
content/uploads/2017/11/pfas_fact_sheet_history_and_use__11_13_17.pdf.
521
(44)
(PFAS);
2007;
http://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/wp-
Buck, R. C.; Murphy, P. M.; Pabon, M. Chemistry, properties, and uses of commercial
522
fluorinated surfactants. In Polyfluorinated chemicals and transformation products;
523
Knepper, T. P., Lange, F. T., Eds.; Springer: Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany, 2012; pp
524
1-24.
525
(45)
Lang, J. R.; Allred, B. M.; Field, J. A.; Levis, J. W.; Barlaz, M. A. National estimate of
526
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) release to U.S. municipal landfill leachate.
527
Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, 51 (4), 2197-2205.
528
(46)
Gewurtz, S. B.; De Silva, A. O.; Backus, S. M.; McGoldrick, D. J.; Keir, M. J.; Small, J.;
529
Melymuck, L.; Muir, D. C. G. Perfluoroalkyl substances in Lake Ontario Lake Trout:
530
Detailed examination of current status and long-term trends. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012,
531
46 (11), 5842-5850.
532
(47)
533 534
614-619. (48)
535 536
539
Stevens, J. P. Outliers and influencial data points in regression analysis. Psychol. Bull. 1984, 95 (2), 334-344.
(49)
537 538
Chan, Y. H. Biostatistics 104: Correlational analysis. Singapore Med. J. 2003, 44 (12),
Statistics
Canada
Focus
on
Geography
Series,
2011
Census;
2015;
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/index-eng.cfm. (50)
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Agroclimatic atlas of Alberta: Maps; 2003; http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag7019.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
27
Environmental Science & Technology
540
(51)
Page 28 of 35
Barber, J. L.; Berger, U.; Chaemfa, C.; Huber, S.; Jahnke, A.; Temme, C.; Jones, K. C.
541
Analysis of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in air samples from Northwest
542
Europe. J. Environ. Monit. 2007, 9, 530-541.
543
(52)
Lopez-Antia, A.; Dauwe, T.; Meyer, J.; Maes, K.; Bervoets, L.; Eens, M. High levels of
544
PFOS in eggs of three bird species in the neighbourhood of a fluoro-chemical plant.
545
Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 2017, 139, 165-171.
546
(53)
Moody, C. A.; Hebert, G. N.; Strauss, S. H.; Field, J. A. Occurrence and persistence of
547
perfluorooctanesulfonate and other perfluorinated surfactants in groundwater at a fire-
548
training area at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, USA. J. Environ. Monit. 2003, 5
549
(2), 341-345.
550
(54)
Gewurtz, S. B.; Backus, S. M.; De Silva, A. O.; Ahrens, L.; Armellin, A.; Evans, M.;
551
Fraser, S.; Gledhill, M.; Guerra, P.; Harner, T.; Helm, P. A.; Hung, H.; Khera, N.; Kim,
552
M. G.; King, M.; Lee, S. C.; Letcher, R. J.; Martin, P.; Marvin, C.; McGoldrick, D. J.;
553
Myers, A. L.; Pelletier, M.; Pomeroy, J.; Reiner, E. J.; Rondeau, M.; Sauve, M.-C.;
554
Sekela, M.; Shoeib, M.; Smith, D. W.; Smyth, S. A.; Struger, J.; Spry, D.; Syrgiannis, J.;
555
Waltho, J. Perfluoroalkyl acids in the Canadian environment: Multi-media assessment of
556
current status and trends. Environ. Int. 2013, 59, 183-200.
557
(55)
Route, W. T.; Russell, R. E.; Lindstrom, A. B.; Strynar, M. J.; Key, R. L. Spatial and
558
temporal patterns in concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in Bald Eagle nestlings
559
in the upper midwestern United States. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48 (12), 6653-6660.
560
(56)
Liu, X.; Guo, Z.; Krebs, K. A.; Pope, R. H.; Roache, N. F. Concentrations and trends of
561
perfluorinated chemicals in potential indoor sources from 2007 through 2011 in the US.
562
Chemosphere 2014, 98, 51-57.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
28
Page 29 of 35
563
Environmental Science & Technology
(57)
564 565
Herzke, D.; Olsson, E.; Posner, S. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in consumer products in Norway - a pilot study. Chemosphere 2012, 88 (8), 980-987.
(58)
Arsenault, G.; Chittim, B.; McAlees, A.; McCrindle, R.; Riddell, N.; Yeo, B. Some issues
566
relating to the use of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) samples as reference standards.
567
Chemosphere 2008, 70 (4), 616-625.
568
(59)
Dinglasan, M. J. A.; Ye, Y.; Edwards, E. A.; Mabury, S. A. Fluorotelomer alcohol
569
biodegradation yields poly- and perfluorinated acids. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38
570
(10), 2857-2864.
571
(60)
Sinclair, E.; Kim, S. K.; Akinleye, H. B.; Kannan, K. Quantitation of gas-phase
572
perfluoroalkyl surfactants and fluorotelomer alcohols released from nonstick cookware
573
and microwave popcorn bags. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41 (4), 1180-1185.
574
(61)
575 576
perspectives. Environ. Chem. 2011, 8 (4), 333-338. (62)
577 578
Kannan, K. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances: current and future
Ahrens, L.; Shoeib, M.; Del Vento, S.; Codling, G.; Halsall, C. Polyfluoroalkyl compounds in the Canadian Arctic atmosphere. Environ. Chem. 2011, 8 (4), 399-406.
(63)
Ahrens, L.; Harner, T.; Shoeib, M.; Lane, D. A.; Murphy, J. G. Improved characterization
579
of gas-particle partitioning for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the atmosphere
580
using annular diffusion denuder samplers. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012, 46 (13), 7199-
581
7206.
582
(64)
Ellis, D. A.; Martin, J. W.; De Silva, A. O.; Mabury, S. A.; Hurley, M. D.; Sulbaek
583
Andersen, M. P. S.; Wallington, T. J. Degradation of fluorotelomer alcohols: A likely
584
atmospheric source of perfluorinated carboxylic acids. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38
585
(12), 3316-3321.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
29
Environmental Science & Technology
586
(65)
Page 30 of 35
Butt, C. M.; Muir, D. C. G.; Mabury, S. A. Biotransformation pathways of fluorotelomer-
587
based polyfluoroalkyl substances: A review. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2014, 33 (2), 243-
588
267.
589
(66)
D'eon, J. C.; Mabury, S. A. Is indirect exposure a significant contributor to the burden of
590
perfluorinated acids observed in humans. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45 (11), 7974-
591
7984.
592
(67)
Young, C. J.; Furdui, V. I.; Franklin, J.; Koerner, R. M.; Muir, D. C. G.; Mabury, S. A.
593
Perfluorinated acids in Arctic snow: new evidence for atmospheric formation. Environ.
594
Sci. Technol. 2007, 41 (10), 3455-3461.
595
(68)
Ellis, D.; Martin, J.; Mabury, S.; Hurley, M.; Sulbaek Andersen, M.; Wallington, T.
596
Atmospheric lifetime of fluorotelomer alcohols. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2003, 37 (17),
597
3816-3820.
598
(69)
Lu, Z.; Martin, P. A.; Burgess, N. M.; Champoux, L.; Elliott, J. E.; Baressi, E.; De Silva,
599
A. O.; de Solla, S. R.; Letcher, R. J. Volatile methylsiloxanes and organophosphate esters
600
in the eggs of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and congeneric gull species from
601
locations across Canada. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, 51 (17), 9836-9845.
602
(70)
603 604
Elliott, K. H.; Duffe, J.; Lee, S. L.; Mineau, P.; Elliott, J. E. Foraging ecology of bald eagles at an urban landfill. Wilson J. Ornithol. 2006, 118 (3), 380-390.
(71)
Custer, C. M.; Custer, T. W.; Schoenfuss, H. L.; Poganski, B. H.; Solem, L. Exposure
605
and effects of perfluoroalkyl compounds on tree swallows nesting at Lake Johanna in east
606
central Minnesota, USA. Reprod. Toxicol. 2012, 33 (4), 556-562.
607 608
(72)
O'Brien, J. M.; Crump, D.; Mundy, L. J.; Chu, S.; McLaren, K. K.; Vongphachan, V.; Letcher, R. J.; Kennedy, S. W. Pipping success and liver mRNA expression in chicken
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
30
Page 31 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
609
embryos exposed in ovo to C8 and C11 perfluorinated carboxylic acids and C10
610
perfluorinated sulfonate. Toxicol. Lett. 2009, 190 (2), 134-139.
611
(73)
Wang, Z.; Boucher, J. M.; Scheringer, M.; Cousins, I. T.; Hungerbuhler, K. Toward a
612
comprehensive global emission inventory of C4-C10 perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids
613
(PFSAs) and related precursors: focus on the life cycle of C8-based products and ongoing
614
industrial transition. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, 51 (8), 4482-4493.
615 616 617
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
31
Environmental Science & Technology
618
Page 32 of 35
10000 1000
619
100
PFOS
10
620
1 0.1 1000
621
100
PFDS
1
623 624 625 626
PFNA
627 628 629
PFDoDA
630
633
0.1 0.01 1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 1000
631 632
10
Concentration (ng/g wet weight)
622
100
PFTeDA
10 1
638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647
British Columbia Landfill
Alberta Industrial
Ontario 10 km from urban center
Quebec 40 km from urban center
Otter Lk Landfill Dartmouth Refinery Oakfield Park Graves Is. Park
637
Lachenaie Landfill Parc-Nature Repentigny Lanoraie
636
Brantford Landfill Halton Landfill Stoney Creek Landfill Hamilton St. George Delhi
635
0.01
Calgary Landfill Calgary Industrial South of Indus South of Strathmore Redcliff
634
Delta Landfill Abbotsford Langley
0.1
Nova Scotia
Remote (Alberta only)
Figure 1. Box and whisker plots of the concentrations (ng/g wet weight) of five representative PFAAs (PFOS, PFDS, PFNA, PFDoDA, and PFTeDA) in European starling eggs collected across Canada in 2009-2012 and 2014. The line within the boxes indicates median, the boxes indicate 25th and 75th percentiles, the whiskers (error bars) below and above the boxes indicate 10th and 90th percentiles, and the closed circles indicate outliers. The method limits of quantification for 2009 to 2012 data are shown as solid blue lines and for 2014 as dash blue lines. For PFOS, the Draft (Canadian) Federal Environmental Quality Guideline (FEQG) for bird eggs of 1900 ng/g is displayed as a dashed brown line.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
32
Page 33 of 35
Environmental Science & Technology
648 649 650
652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668
b) Factor Scores
1.0
PCA – axis 2 (39%)
651
a) Factor Loadings PFHxS PFDS
0.8
2.0
PFOS
CLf CInd C10
PFTeDA
0.6
HLf1
1.0
PFDoA
VLf HxInd
PFDA PFTrDA
0.4
PFOA PFUnDA
0.0 C40 Rem V40
0.2 PFNA
0.0 0.0
0.4
0.8
-1.0 1.2
VInd
-2.0
Hx10
HInd HLf2 M10 HLf3 MLf MInd M40
HxLf
H40 H10 Hx40
0.0
2.0
PCA – axis 1 (48%) Vancouver, BC Calgary, AB Hamilton, ON Montreal, QC Halifax, NS VLf – Vancouver landfill (BC); VInd – Abbotsford (BC); V40 – Langley (BC) CLf – Calgary landfill (AB); CInd – Calgary (AB); C10 – South of Indus (AB); C40 - South of Strathmore (AB); REM – Redcliff (AB) HLf1– Brantford landfill (ON); HLf2 – Halton landfill (ON); HLf3 – Stoney Creek landfill (ON); HInd – Hamilton (ON); H10 - St. George (ON); H40 - Delhi (ON) MLf – Lachenaie landfill (QC); MInd – Parc-Nature (QC); M10 – Repentigny (QC); M40 – Lanoraie (QC) HxLf – Otter Lake Waste Facility (NS); HxInd – Dartmouth Refinery (NS); ); Hx10 – Oakfield Provincial Park (NS); Hx40 – Graves Island Provincial Park (NS)
Figure 2. PCA (a) factor loadings and (b) mean factor scores for factor 1 and factor 2 conducted on log-normalized PFAA concentrations in European starling eggs collected across Canada in 2009-2012 and 2014. Location types are defined in Table SI1. This figure illustrates that locations within urban centers often (but not always) group together with similar factor scores.
669
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
33
Environmental Science & Technology
Page 34 of 35
670 671 10000
672
674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688
(b) PFDS
r = 0.548, p = 0.043
Concentration (ng/g wet weight)
673
1000
(a) PFOS
r = 0.643, p = 0.013
1000
100
CInd
C10 (outlier) HxInd
10
100 M40 Hx40
H10
10
H40
H10
Hx40
H40
MInd HInd
V40
V40
0.1
1
104
M10
M40
1
VInd
0.1 101103
CInd HxInd
HInd MInd
M10
C40
Hx10 Rem
100
C10 (outlier) Hx10
105
106
107
(c) PFOA
0.01 101103 100
r = 0.207, p = 0.458
Rem
C40
VInd
104
105
106
107
(d) PFUnDA r = 0.173, p = 0.537
Hx10 CInd
10
HxInd C10
H10 M40 Hx40
10
CInd
M10
C10
M40
Hx40
M10 HxInd
H40 H10
1
1
MInd HInd
Hx10
MInd V40
0.1
H40
Rem
C40 V40
VInd
HInd
0.1 Rem
0.01 101103
104
105
106
107
0.01 101103
VInd
C40
104
105
106
107
Human Population Vancouver, BC
Calgary, AB
Montreal, QC
Hamilton, ON
Halifax, NS
VInd – Abbotsford (BC); V40 – Langley (BC) CInd – Calgary (AB); C10 – South of Indus (AB); C40 - South of Strathmore (AB); REM – Redcliff (AB) HInd – Hamilton (ON); H10 - St. George (ON); H40 - Delhi (ON) MInd – Parc-Nature (QC); M10 – Repentigny (QC); M40 – Lanoraie (QC) HxInd – Dartmouth Refinery (NS); ); Hx10 – Oakfield Provincial Park (NS); Hx40 – Graves Island Provincial Park (NS)
689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699
Figure 3. Correlation between median (a) PFOS, (b) PFDS, (c) PFOA, and (d) PFUnDA concentrations in European starling eggs (ng/g wet weight) and human population. The starlings were collected from industrial (Ind), rural locations located 10 km and 40 km away from major urban centers, and a remote (REM) location. The results are shown for eggs collected in 20092012 and 2014 combined. The error bars represent the minimum and maximum values. The method limits of quantification are displayed as dashed (2014) and solid (2009 to 2012) lines. PFDS and PFOA were not detected in eggs collected from Oakfield Provincial Park (NS) and the population of this location is indicated with an "×". Location types are defined in Table SI1. For PFOS and PFDS, an outlier (south of Indus, Alberta; median concentrations = 162 and 27 ng/g wet weight, respectively; population = 45) was excluded from the correlation analysis.
700
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
34
Page 35 of 35
10000
1000
PFOS
1000
Concentration (ng/g wet weight)
701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733
Environmental Science & Technology
PFDS
100
100
10
10 1
1
0.1
0.1 0.01
0.01 0.0
1000
2.0e+5 4.0e+5 6.0e+5 8.0e+5 1.0e+6 1.2e+6 1.4e+6
0.0
1000
PFOA
100
100
10
10
1
1
0.1
0.1
0.01
2.0e+5 4.0e+5 6.0e+5 8.0e+5 1.0e+6 1.2e+6 1.4e+6
PFUnDA
0.01 0.0
2.0e+5 4.0e+5 6.0e+5 8.0e+5 1.0e+6 1.2e+6 1.4e+6
0.0
2.0e+5 4.0e+5 6.0e+5 8.0e+5 1.0e+6 1.2e+6 1.4e+6
Fill Rate (tonnes/year) Vancouver, BC
Calgary, AB
Montreal, QC
Hamilton, ON
Halifax, NS
Figure 4. Median (a) PFOS, (b) PFDS, (c) PFOA, and (d) PFUnDA concentrations in European starling eggs (ng/g wet weight) collected from landfill locations across Canada versus landfill fill rate (tonnes/year). The results are shown for eggs collected in 2009-2012 and 2014 combined. The error bars represent the minimum and maximum values. The method limits of quantification are displayed as dashed (2014) and solid (2009 to 2012) lines.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment
35