Bioaccumulation characteristics of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in coastal organisms from the west coast of South Korea
Abstract
Year-round monitoring for perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) along the west coast of South Korea targeting long-term changes in water and coastal organisms has been conducted since 2008. In this study, we present the most recent 5-years of accumulated data and scrutinize the relationship between concentrations in water and biota highlighting bioaccumulation characteristics. Twelve individual PFAAs in samples of water (n=43) and biota (n=59) were quantified by use of HPLC-MS/MS after solid phase extraction. In recent years, concentrations of PFAAs in water have been generally decreasing, but profiles of relative concentrations of individual PFAAs vary among location and year. Bioaccumulation of PFAAs in various organisms including fishes, bivalves, crabs, gastropods, shrimps, starfish, and polychaetes varied among species. However, overall bioaccumulation of PFAAs was dependent on corresponding concentrations of PFAAs in water within an area. In organ-specific distributions of PFAAs, greater concentrations of PFAAs were found in intestine of fish (green eel goby). This result suggests that PFAAs are mainly accumulated via dietary exposure, while greater concentrations were found in gill and intestine of bivalve (oyster) which suggests both waterborne and dietary exposures to these organisms. Concentrations of PFAAs in biota did not decrease over time (2008-2010), indicating that continuing bioaccumulation followed by slow degradation or excretion of PFAAs accumulated in biota. Overall, spatio-temporal distributions of PFAAs in water and bioaccumulation characteristics seemed to be associated with recent restrictions of PFOS-based products and uses of PFBS-based substitutes.
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Hong et al. (2015) found the bioaccumulation of PFAAs varied among species, where higher concentrations of PFAAs were found in the intestine of amblyopinae (eel gobies), indicating that PFAAs were mainly accumulated via dietary exposure.
“they found the bioaccumulation of PFAAs varied among species, where higher concentrations of PFAAs were found in the intestine of amblyopinae (eel gobies), indicating that PFAAs were mainly accumulated via dietary exposure.”
From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the marine environment: An overview and prospects (2025) · cites this paper as Hong et al., 2015
Hong et al. (2015) found higher PFAA concentrations in oysters' gills and intestines, implying waterborne and dietary exposure to PFAAs in these bivalves.
“they found higher PFAA concentrations in oysters' gills and intestines, implying waterborne and dietary exposure to PFAAs in these bivalves.”
From Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the marine environment: An overview and prospects (2025) · cites this paper as Hong et al., 2015
PFOS showed statistically significant declining trends in several surface waters: Tokyo Bay between 2004 and 2006, marine and fresh waters on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012, and Bohai Bay on the east coast of China between 2011 and 2013.
“PFOS showed statistically significant declining trends in several surface waters, namely; in Tokyo Bay between 2004 and 2006 [129], in marine and fresh waters on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012 [95] and in Bohai Bay on the east coast of China between 2011 and 2013 [140].”
For PFHpA, PFNA, PFDA and PFUnDA statistically significant declining trends were also observed in marine waters on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012, but most surface water sampled showed no significant trends for PFCAs other than PFOA.
“For PFHpA, PFNA, PFDA and PFUnDA statistically significant declining trends were also observed in marine waters on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012 [95], but most surface water sampled showed no significant trends for PFCAs other than PFOA.”
PFOA showed statistically significant declining trends in the same surface waters for which declining PFOS trends were also observed: Tokyo Bay between 2004 and 2006, marine and fresh waters on the west coast of Korea between 2008 and 2012, and Bohai Bay on the east coast of China between 2011 and 2013.
“PFOA showed statistically significant declining trends in the same surface waters for which declining PFOS trends were also observed, namely; in Tokyo Bay between 2004 and 2006 [129], in marine and fresh waters on the west coast of Korea between 2008 and 2012 [95] and in Bohai Bay on the east coast of China between 2011 and 2013 [140].”
PFHxS showed a statistically significant declining trend in marine water on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012, and PFDS showed a significantly increasing trend in the same seawater.
“PFHxS showed a statistically significant declining trend in marine water on the west coast of South Korea between 2008 and 2012 [95] and PFDS showed a significantly increasing trend in the same seawater.”
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References 26 · Cited by 125
- Authors
- Hong, S., Khim, J. S., Wang, T., Naile, J. E., Park, J., Kwon, B.-O., Song, S. J., Ryu, J., Codling, G., Jones, P. D., Lu, Y., & Giesy, J. P.
- Affiliations
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- University of Saskatchewan (CA)
- Anyang University (KR)
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Khim, Jong Seong
- Giesy, John P.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Chemosphere
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-06
- Volume
- 129
- Pages
- 157-163
- ISSN
- 0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2127166835
- Cited by
- 125
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 3.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chemosphere (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- perfluoroalkyl acids, bioaccumulation, PFOS, PFBS, dietary exposure, waterborne exposure, oysters, Polychaeta, spatiotemporal trends
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Environmental Monitoring, Fishes, Fluorocarbons, Invertebrates, Seasons, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Republic of Korea, Aquatic Organisms
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