FY 2022 STATEMENT OF NEED 

Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area 

The objective of this Statement on Need (SON) was to develop an improved understanding of the ecotoxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) associated with the release of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) in the marine environment, particularly ecological receptors in the near-shore environment. The specific goal was to address the following research needs:

• Produce data to support development of toxicity reference values (TRVs) for marine species in water and sediment for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and other relevant PFAS using controlled data from laboratory investigations.
• Provide data on PFAS bioaccumulation and biomagnification from marine pelagic and/or benthic organisms into shellfish or fish that may be used to support food web modeling.
• Determine the relative toxicity of other PFAS or classes of PFAS as compared to PFOA and PFOS in order to enhance risk management decisions and address risk communication concerns.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects can be found by clicking the project title.

• From the Bottom Up: Deciphering Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification of PFAS in Plankton
  • Lead Investigator: Rainer Lohmann, University of Rhode Island
• Using ¹⁴C Labeling in Ecotoxicology Assays to Ensure Relevance and Better Assess the Impact of PFAS in the Marine Environment
  • Lead Investigator: Craig Styan, University of South Australia
• Bioavailability, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity of PFAS in Benthic Biota Exposed to Impacted Marine Sediments
  • Lead Investigator: Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University
• Bioaccumulation and Ecotoxicity of Representative PFAS in Model Marine / Estuarine Species
  • Lead Investigator: David Moore, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center
• Critical Data for Assessing the Marine Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of PFAS 
  • Lead Investigator: Jason Conder, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.    
• Factors Influencing PFAS Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification in Marine Food Webs Associated with AFFF Sources in a New England Estuary 
  • Lead Investigator: Celia Chen, Trustees of Dartmouth College

Research should provide knowledge of the potential environmental risk of PFAS in the marine environment and assist in the development of appropriate site-specific risk assessments and the decisions related to mitigation of exposures at these marine sites.