Zach Pandelides, Jennifer Arblaster, and Jason Conder Coauthor Article on PFAS and Marine Life

Zach Pandelides, PhD; Jennifer Arblaster; and Jason Conder, PhD, IBERAD, coauthored the article "Chronic Toxicity and Uptake of 10 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Acids to Marine Species Americamysis bahia and Atherinops affinis."

The article was published on June 16, 2026, in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Their coauthors were Nicholas Hayman, Marienne Colvin, and Gunther Rosen from the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and Rebecca Anderson from San Diego State University Research Foundation.

Zach is a Scientist based in Louisiana with more than 10 years of experience focusing on assessing environmental risk, sediment, and water quality. His recent work has involved assessing ecological risks regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and obtaining critical data to assess the toxicity of PFAS to marine organisms.

Jennifer is a Senior Scientist based in Vermont with more than 10 years of experience in ecological and human health risk assessment, sediment site characterization, bioaccumulation modeling, and evaluation of environmental quality criteria. Her experience includes the evaluation of the ecological and human health risk issues associated with PFAS.

Jason is a Senior Principal Scientist based in California with more than 15 years of experience focused on risk assessment and contaminated sediments in contaminated site assessments and management, environmental toxicology, and ecological and human health risk assessment. A significant portion of his practice has focused on evaluating emerging chemicals like PFAS.

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

Abstract: "Chronic Toxicity and Uptake of 10 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Acids to Marine Species Americamysis bahia and Atherinops affinis"

A lack of marine-specific data results in challenges assessing site-specific ecological risks and developing marine water quality criteria for PFAS. Here, the toxicity and bioaccumulation of perfluorobutanoic acid, perfluorohexanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorodecanesulfonic acid, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, and 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate were evaluated in marine species using two standard United States Environmental Protection Agency toxicity species: (1) Mysid shrimp (Americamysis bahia) and (2) topsmelt fish (Atherinops affinis).

Concentrations of PFAS in live organisms were measured at the end of the toxicity tests (7 days; concentrations typically > 1 milligram per liter) and at 28 days (A. affinis only; concentrations ∼0.1 milligram per liter). Americamysis bahia was more sensitive to PFAS than A. affinis. Half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values derived for six PFAS and three PFAS for A. bahia and A. affinis, respectively, were > 1 milligram per liter. Half-maximal effective concentration values (EC50) for A. bahia were negatively correlated with perfluoroalkyl carbon chain length. Toxicological metrics (no effect concentration [NOEC], lowest observed effect concentration, EC10, and EC20) were generated using measured concentrations in water and tissue. In exposures with significant lethality, narcotic mode of action is suggested based on the range of tissue concentration. NOECs for PFAS were in the 0.01-100 milligrams per liter range, orders of magnitude higher than environmentally relevant concentrations. As such, adverse effects on these species and endpoints are not likely in the marine environment. Bioconcentration factors for the 10 PFAS ranged over five orders of magnitude and were positively correlated with perfluoroalkyl chain length.

More Information on PFAS Concentrations in Marine Life

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Learn more about Zach: Zacharias Pandelides | LinkedIn
Learn more about Jennifer: Jennifer Arblaster
Learn more about Jason: Jason Conder