Risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure through marine fish consumption
Global food trade expansion has enriched diets worldwide but also heightened concerns about contaminant spread. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can persist in the environment for decades, yet their risks through food trade remain unclear. The global median estimated daily intake (EDI) of C8-PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate) (0.023 nanograms per kilograms per day) was mapped from 212 marine fish species, which indicated higher EDIs in North America, Oceania, and Europe. Furthermore, European countries play a pivotal role in C8-PFAS trade flows, markedly reshaping exposure pathways and driving increased exposure in many nations. These dynamics highlight the importance of establishing food-safety regulations and international trade standards. Although perfluorooctane sulfonate hazard index decreased by 72% after its 2009 regulations, unregulated long-chain PFAS continue to pose elevated risks.
Authors
- Ling Cao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0456-0518)
- Zhaomin Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0251-2355)
- Shu Min Tao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7374-7063)
- Minghong Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9776-671X)
- Yi Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8442-182X)
- Kmy Leung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2164-4281)
- Lian Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4590-3022)
- Zhenzhong Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6851-2756)
- Yanxu Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7770-3466)
- Wenhui Qiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9961-3928)
- Shan Niu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9709-6197)
- Jason T. Magnuson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6841-8014)
- Daniel Schlenk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5519-2298)
- Ge Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7499-6891)
- Tao Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2054-8087)
- Chunmiao Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5839-1305)
- Xianming Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5301-7899)
- Jianmin Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6593-570X)
- Yuzhe Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9531-3821)
- Di Fang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4664-703X)
- Wenhong Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5047-1714)
Institutions
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Tulane University (US)
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- University of Nottingham Ningbo China (CN)
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Xiamen University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Beijing Normal University (CN)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Columbia Environmental Research Center
- Concordia University (CA)
- Lanzhou University (CN)
- Southeast University (CN)
- Fuzhou University (CN)
- Beihang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2025-12-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr0351
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.02