PERFLUORINATED CHEMICALS IN SURFACE WATERS AND SEDIMENTS FROM THE CONASAUGA, OOSTANAULA, AND COOSA RIVERS AND THEIR BIOACCUMULATION IN THE AQUATIC OLIGOCHAETE, Lumbriculus varie- gatus

Concentrations of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) were measured in surface waters and sediments from the Coosa River watershed to examine their distribution downstream of a suspected source. Samples from eight sites were analyzed using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry. To examine PFC bioaccumulation, sediments were also utilized in 28-d exposures with the aquatic oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus. Concentrations increased significantly below a land-application site (LAS) of municipal/industrial wastewater and were further elevated by unknown sources downstream. Comparisons with past surveys indicate improving conditions, but additional information is needed. Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with eight or less carbons were the most prominent in surface waters but those with 10 or more carbons predominated sediment and tissue samples. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the major homologue in contaminated sediments and tissues followed by perfluorodecanoate, perfluoroundecanoate, perfluorododecanoate, perfluorotridecanoate, and perfluorotetradecanoate. This pattern of sediment PFCs was consistent among sites and reflects homologue concentrations emanating from the LAS. Tissue PFC concentrations repeated patterns observed in the respective sediments but were 4 to 46 times greater depending on the homologue. The tendency of PFCs to bioaccumulate increased with PFCA chain length and the presence of the sulfonate moiety. Bioaccumulation factors indicate that short-chain PFCAs with less than seven carbons may be environmentally benign alternatives in aquatic ecosystems, but sulfonates with four to seven carbons may be as likely to bioaccumulate as PFOS.