Date of Award

2026

Degree Name

Natural Resources & The Environment

College

College of Science

Type of Degree

M.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Mindy Yeager-Armstead

Second Advisor

Dr. Autumn Starcher-Patton

Third Advisor

Dr. Thomas Jones

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L – 31.25 ng/L. Sublethal endpoints of GSI, fecundity, and larval fish dry wright were assessed to evaluate the potential bioaccumulative and chronic effects of the toxicant. Negative trends in GSI were observed along with an inhibiting concentration of 25% calculated at 22.75 ng/L. This suggests more research is needed to understand the impacts of the chemical on aquatic vertebrates as a reduction in reproductive maturity may negatively impact organism populations.

Subject(s)

Environmental sciences.

Environmental sciences --Toxicology.

Toxicology.

Aquatic sciences.

Aquatic sciences -- Toxicology.

Perfluorinated chemicals.

Chemicals.

Fathead minnow.

Fishes.

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