Comparative tissue and body compartment accumulation and maternal transfer to eggs of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and carboxylates in Great Lakes herring gulls

The comparative accumulation of C-4-C-15 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) and carboxylates (PFCAs), and several precursors (e.g., perfluorooctane sulfonamide. N-methyl-FOSA, and fluorotelomer unsaturated acids and alcohols) was examined in tissues (liver, brain, muscle, and adipose), plasma/red blood cells (RBCs) and whole egg clutches (yolk and albumen) of female herring gulls collected in 2010 from Chantry Island, Lake Huron of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Highest mean EPFSA concentrations were in yolk, followed by adipose, liver, plasma, muscle, RBCs, and brain. Highest mean EPFCA concentrations were in yolk, followed by brain, plasma, liver, RBC, adipose and muscle. PFOS accounted for >88% of Sigma PFSA in all samples; the liver, plasma/RBCs, muscle and adipose PFCA patterns were dominated by C-8-C-11 PFCAs, whereas C-10-C-15 PFCAs in brain and yolk. Among PFSAs and PFCAs there is tissue-specific accumulation, which could be due to a number of pharmacokinetic processes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.