Discharges of perfluoroalkyl substances into coastal waters and their accumulation in porcupinefish (<i>Diodon holacanthus</i>) in Okinawa, Japan

Perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanesulfonate were analyzed in water and fish samples collected at drainage discharge points along the west coast of Okinawa Island, Japan, where considerable groundwater contamination with perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been reported. Substances in the derived fish extracts were arylated and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The PFAS concentration of water discharged into coastal waters adjacent to coral reefs was 310–1,500 ng L−1. In the muscle tissues of porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) from the coastal sites A and D, both of which receive PFAS-contaminated water, the average perfluorooctanesulfonate concentrations were 15 and 5.2 ng g−1 wet weight, respectively. The results of this study suggest that PFAS contained in the groundwater discharges has contaminated coastal seawaters and accumulated in aquatic organisms along the island’s coast. Concerns about fish consumption have also been raised from a food safety perspective.