Poster Presentation Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Australasia 2021

PFAS in biota: the impact of wastewater treatment plant effluents on fish in Victoria, Australia (#190)

Minna Saaristo 1 , Simon Sharp 1 , Andrea Hindwood 1
  1. EPA Victoria, Macleod, VICTORIA, Australia

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products. Due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, it is surprising that only a small number of studies has investigated the impact of PFAS on non-target organisms. Accordingly, the overall aim of the study was to determine concentrations of PFAS in fish living up- and downstream from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Victoria, Australia. This study had three specific aims: (1) quantify the concentration of PFAS in muscle tissues (or whole fish) of fish; (2) determine concentration of PFAS in water; (3) assess the associated risk to human health through fish consumption. Specifically, we sampled 18 sites (including three reference sites) across Victoria. The study had a 3-site sampling design: hotspot site (WWTP discharge point), upstream site (1-2km upstream the hotspot site) and downstream site (1-2km downstream the hotspot site). Both water and fish were collected from each site. Water samples were collected using a combination of passive samplers (deployed for 28 days), and grab samples. Minimum of 20 fish were caught from each site and total of 360 were caught including a range of native and invasive species (e.g. black fish, carp, eels, redfins, trout). Fish weight and length was measured, and a subset of the species aged (eels and redfins). We are in a process of analysing the data and will be presenting this extensive biomonitoring study in full detail in the conference.