Table 3. Ecosystem impacts of PFOS exposure Type Air impacts Land impacts Water impacts Biota impacts Supporting ↑ adsorption of ↑ PFOS ↑ PFOS in ↑ chronic PFOS ecosystem PFOS to airborne contaminated soil groundwater exposure services: particles and substrate ↑ PFOS in surface ↑ acute PFOS water cycle, ↑ deposition of ↑ PFOS water exposure nutrient cycle, contaminated contaminated ↑ PFOS in ↑ total body soil formation, particles on ground, aquatic sediments precipitation burden of toxins primary built environment & ↑ PFOS ↑ animal health production, water contaminated effects of PFOS habitat ↑ PFOS vapour biosolids exposure ↑ PFOS vapour ↑ PFOS leaching to ↑ bioaccumulation exchange with surface water & & biomagnification oceans groundwater ↓ biodiversity ↑ bioaccumulation ↓ ecological from soil resilience Provisioning none identified ↑ contaminated ↓ surface water ↑ closures to ecosystem land quality fishing and services: ↑ land use conflicts ↓ groundwater aquaculture nutrition, ↓ land suitable for quality ↓ wild and materials, development ↓ rainwater quality grown food safety / energy ↓ aquatic & marine quality assurance high conservation ↓ livestock & crop value areas quality assurance Regulating ↓ ambient air ↑ total area and ↑ total area and ↑ total area and ecosystem quality number of sites number of sites number of sites services ↑ total area with with PFOS with PFOS with PFOS airborne PFOS contamination in contamination in contamination in contamination soil & substrate surface water & biota groundwater ↓ wastewater filtration in wetlands ↓ pollination Cultural none identified ↓ recreational ↓ swimming and ↓ recreational ecosystem gardening diving fishing services: ↓ recreational ↓ recreational outdoor boating hunting & wild food activities, gathering knowledge ↓ perception of environmental quality, safety and sound management generation, ↓ aesthetic value of flora, fauna, and ecosystems spiritual & ↓ existence value of flora, fauna and ecosystems symbolic ↓ spiritual and cultural value of flora, fauna and ecosystem assets and traditional values practices for Indigenous people Notes: ↑ = increase ↓ = decrease Research has identified a range of effects in animals that are associated with exposure to PFOS in the nervous, reproductive, immune, digestive and endocrine systems (examples are summarised in Table 4). However, the evidence on potential modes of action for these effects is not conclusive and requires further research.
Table 3. Ecosystem impacts of PFOS exposure Type Air impacts Land impacts Water impacts Biota impacts Supporting ecosystem services: water cycle, nutrient cycle, soil formation, primary production, habitat ↑ adsorption of PFOS to airborne particles ↑ deposition of contaminated particles on ground, built environment & water ↑ PFOS vapour ↑ PFOS vapour exchange with oceans ↑ PFOS contaminated soil and substrate ↑ PFOS contaminated aquatic sediments ↑ PFOS contaminated biosolids ↑ PFOS leaching to surface water & groundwater ↑ bioaccumulation from soil ↑ PFOS in groundwater ↑ PFOS in surface water ↑ PFOS in precipitation ↑ chronic PFOS exposure ↑ acute PFOS exposure ↑ total body burden of toxins ↑ animal health effects of PFOS exposure ↑ bioaccumulation & biomagnification ↓ biodiversity ↓ ecological resilience Provisioning ecosystem services: nutrition, materials, energy none identified ↑ contaminated land ↑ land use conflicts ↓ land suitable for development ↓ aquatic & marine high conservation value areas ↓ surface water quality ↓ groundwater quality ↓ rainwater quality ↑ closures to fishing and aquaculture ↓ wild and food safety / quality assurance ↓ livestock & crop quality assurance Regulating ecosystem services ↓ ambient air quality ↑ total area with airborne PFOS contamination ↑ total area and number of sites with PFOS contamination in soil & substrate ↑ total area and number of sites with PFOS contamination in surface water & groundwater ↑ total area and number of sites with PFOS contamination in biota ↓ wastewater filtration in wetlands ↓ pollination Cultural ecosystem services: outdoor activities, knowledge generation, spiritual & symbolic values none identified ↓ recreational gardening ↓ swimming and diving ↓ recreational boating ↓ recreational fishing ↓ recreational hunting & wild food gathering ↓ perception of environmental quality, safety and sound management ↓ aesthetic value of flora, fauna, and ecosystems ↓ existence value of flora, fauna and ecosystems ↓ spiritual and cultural value of flora, fauna and ecosystem assets and traditional practices for Indigenous people Notes: ↑ = increase ↓ = decrease Research has identified a range of effects in animals that are associated with exposure to PFOS in the nervous, reproductive, immune, digestive and endocrine systems (examples are summarised in Table 4). However, the evidence on potential modes of action for these effects is not conclusive and requires further research. grown
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