Unravelling the magnitude and drivers of PFAS trophic magnification: a meta-analysis
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) threaten ecosystems worldwide due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Through a global-scale meta-analysis of 119 aquatic and terrestrial food webs from 64 studies, we analyse 1009 trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for 72 PFAS and identify key variability drivers. On average, PFAS concentrations double with each trophic level increase (mean TMF = 2.00, 95% CI:1.64-2.45), though magnification varies considerably by compound. Notably, the industrial alternative F-53B exhibits the highest magnification (TMF = 3.07, 95% CI:2.41-3.92), a critical finding given its expanding use and minimal regulatory scrutiny. Methodological disparities across studies emerge as the dominant source of TMF variability. Our models explain 85% of the variation in TMFs, underscoring predictive capacity. This synthesis establishes PFAS as persistent trophic multipliers and provides a framework to prioritise high-risk compounds and harmonise biomagnification assessments. Our results call for consideration of stricter PFAS regulation to curb cascading ecological and health impacts.
Authors
- Malgorzata Lagisz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3993-6127)
- G. Gregory Neely (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1957-9732)
- Kyle Morrison (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3700-2398)
- Patrice Pottier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2106-6597)
- Yefeng Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8610-4016)
- Coralie Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1312-4953)
- Pietro Pollo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6555-5400)
- Shinichi Nakagawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7765-5182)
- Lorenzo Ricolfi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-3309)
- Daniel Hesselson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8675-9426)
- Matthew D. Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1519-9521)
Institutions
- Australian National University (AU)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (JP)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Centenary Institute (AU)
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (AU)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Environmental Earth Sciences (AU)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-11-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65746-4
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.74