Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been released into the environment for decades but we have only recently been able to understand their widespread distribution and toxicity. While there are dozens of PFAS that have been released through the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), manufacturing, or reuse of municipal sludge, only two of these chemicals have been listed by US EPA as hazardous substances under CERCLA and are two of the more actively studied PFAS. These include PFOA and PFOS. PFOS biomagnifies up through the food web and, therefore, top predators can be exposed to elevated and potentially adverse concentrations. This session will focus on methods to model the biomagnification of PFOS from sediment and water up through the food web. We will also discuss implications from PFOS biomagnification modeling on the potential exposure to humans through consumption of contaminated organisms.
