Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2023_TX_Hala

Biomarker discovery and verification of single PFAS or mixtures effects on estuarine biota

Institute: Texas
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2024-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $279,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $279,000

Principal Investigators: David Hala

Project Summary: This proposal will identify the diagnostic biomarkers of single PFAS or PFAS-mixtures toxicity using rapid toxicological tests with fish. The presence/absence of PFAS toxicity biomarkers will be verified in the tissues of aquatic wildlife (oysters, fish) collected from two Gulf of Mexico estuaries, Galveston Bay (TX) and Mobile Bay (AL). The results of this project will provide technical links to cross-federal agencies (USGS and NOAA). These collaborations will allow the exchange of experimental methods and expertise to develop a risk assessment framework to study PFAS effects on estuarine and other aquatic ecosystems. All methods will be integrated into a single Strategic Document (final report) that presents an actionable framework to implement methods to address key concerns, at regional and national scales, as related to PFAS pollution priorities (including USGS priorities of quantifying PFAS in biological tissues and understanding adverse health effects at the molecular biological levels).