Kaylin McDermett (Pennsylvania) coauthored a paper entitled “Assessing Potential Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Trophic Transfer to Crickets (Acheta domesticus)” that was published in The Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in Volume 41, Issue 9 in September 2022.

Kaylin McDermett was the lead author, and her coauthors were Dr. Todd Anderson, Dr. W. Andrew Jackson, and Dr. Jennifer Guelfo of Texas Tech University.

Kaylin is a Senior Staff Engineer based in Pennsylvania who focuses on PFAS fate and transport, passive sampling, bioaccumulation, and groundwater and sediments.

The Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry publishes papers describing original experimental or theoretical work that significantly advances understanding in the area of environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, and hazard and risk assessment.

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) publishes the journal. SETAC provides a forum where scientists, managers, and other professionals can exchange information and ideas on the study, analysis of, and solutions for environmental problems, as well as the natural resources management and regulation, research and development, and environmental education.

Abstract

Although many studies have assessed the bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plant tissues, there has been minimal research on the bioaccumulation of PFAS in soil invertebrates that results from consuming PFAS-contaminated media. This study focused on two different consumption pathways in a population of crickets: individuals consuming PFAS-contaminated alfalfa and individuals consuming PFAS-spiked drinking water. Alfalfa was grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with PFAS-spiked water (~1 ppm) containing seven unique PFAS. The alfalfa was then harvested and fed to crickets. Another population of crickets was supplied with PFAS-spiked drinking water at similar concentrations to irrigation water for direct consumption. Alfalfa accumulation of PFAS and subsequent consumption by the crickets resulted in overall similar tissue concentrations to the crickets who consumed PFAS-spiked water directly. This indicates that source concentration (water) may be an important factor in assessing bioaccumulation of PFAS in organisms. To our knowledge, this is the first study which has assessed not only the direct trophic transfer of PFAS from contaminated vegetation to invertebrates, but also highlights the similarities in bioaccumulation regardless of ingestion pathway.

More Information

Learn more about the article: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry – Wiley Online Library
Learn more about SETAC: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (setac.org)
For consultation regarding PFAS fate and transport contact Kaylin McDermett at kaylin.mcdermett@geosyntec.com
Learn more about Kaylin McDermett at: (99+) Kaylin McDermett, EIT | LinkedIn