Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2015NJ368B

Perflourinated compounds (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA) exposure in laboratory zebrafish and field-caught small mouth bass produce different toxicology profiles based on morphometric, gene expression, and behavioral endpoints

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2015 Start Date: 2015-03-01 End Date: 2016-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,000

Principal Investigators: Carrie Greenfield, Keith Cooper

Abstract: Polyfluorinated compounds (PFC) are a class of anthropogenic, persistent and toxic chemicals that are detected worldwide in both groundwater and surface water. PFCs consist of fluorinated carbon chains of varying length with either a carboxyl, alcohol, or sulfonate terminal group. Previous zebrafish studies in the literature as well as in our own laboratory have shown that exposure to these chemicals resulted in chemical specific developmental defects and reduced survivorship. Each compound produced a different toxicity profile in terms of developmental defects (total body length, interocular distance, yolk sac size), gene expression profiles (muscle and bone development, organic anion transporters) and swimming behavior (distance traveled, velocity, thigomotaxis). Currently, we look to expand this preliminary data and further prove the hypothesis that sub-lethal embryonic zebrafish exposure to PFOS, PFNA, or PFOA will produce different responses in regards to development, gene expression, and behavior. Mixtures will also be examined, since they are normally found together in the environment. A larger number of genes will be examined in our zebrafish model for each compound or mixture using high throughput screening methods in order to increase the metabolic pathways that could be affected by PFCs. Behavioral assays including swim activity, anxiety, and prey catching ability will be performed to assess the impact these chemicals have on the overall fitness of the fish. These endpoints will also be assessed in small mouth bass that are in NJ reservoirs and streams which contain high PFC contamination levels.