# Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Marine Fish and Shellfish: A biomonitoring tool for PFAS remediation and a metric for potential human exposure through seafood consumption

> **NIH NIH R21** · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · 2021 · $50,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
With concerns about human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) on the rise, regional
data about PFASs in various environmental media are needed to inform enforceable and protective standards
for common routes of exposure, including seafood consumption. PFASs are persistent environmental
contaminants of particular concern for vulnerable and sensitive populations, including children and pregnant
women. Four PFASs are commonly detected in blood from United States (US) residents: perfluorooctanoic
acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane
sulfonic acid (PFHxS). Animal and epidemiologic studies support a role for PFAS effects on the thyroid, liver,
cholesterol, and even cancer risk. Human exposure to PFASs occurs primarily through ingestion, notably via
PFAS contaminated drinking water and diet. These contaminants pose a regional as well as national threat to
surface water and drinking water supplies with detections occurring in 49 states. PFASs in fish and shellfish,
particularly in freshwater ecosystems, are recognized as an important dietary source of exposure, but data
regarding exposures from marine sourced seafood are limited, hindering the development of health protective
standards. In the northeastern United States (US), where an abundance of PFAS contamination sites have
been identified and seafood consumption rates tend to be high relative to other regions of the US, marine
species comprise a considerable share of the market. In New Hampshire (NH), the PFAS landscape is rapidly
evolving with implementation of regulatory limits on drinking water supplies, investigation and remediation
efforts at affected sites, and ongoing efforts to monitor exposed communities. As regulations of PFAS use
evolve and remediation commences at contaminated sites, seafood monitoring will be integral to evaluating
effectiveness of policies and remediation activities. There is an urgent need to collect human exposure data in
order to provide critical information to understand the PFAS exposure-health outcome relationship. The
proposed research encompasses both measurements of PFASs in regionally sourced, commonly consumed
marine seafood species, and an assessment of local seafood consumption habits to help meet this need. The
research will be conducted by a highly interdisciplinary team of scientists (marine biologists, epidemiologists,
toxicologists, environmental chemists) involving a collaboration between the NH Department of Environmental
Services and Dartmouth College. The project will leverage a unique archive of existing fish and shellfish tissue
samples harvested throughout the Gulf of Maine (GOM), as well as new samples collected in Great Bay (GB)
adjacent to a PFAS contamination site at the Pease Air Force Base. Furthermore, the proposed research will
take advantage of the start of active PFAS remediation at the Pease Air Force Base to evaluate remedial
effectiv...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10472968
- **Project number:** 3R21ES032187-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Celia Y Chen
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $50,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-11 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10472968

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10472968, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Marine Fish and Shellfish: A biomonitoring tool for PFAS remediation and a metric for potential human exposure through seafood consumption (3R21ES032187-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10472968. Licensed CC0.

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