Evaluation of the Chronic Reproductive Toxicity of a Fluorine-free Firefighting Foam and a Short-Chain Fluorinated Foam to Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus).

The development of fluorine-free firefighting foams has been proposed as a way to reduce the adverse environmental consequences of foams containing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While there are likely fewer environmental and ecological concerns with these new fluorine-free foams in terms of persistence and bioaccumulation, it is prudent to evaluate the ecotoxicity of these fluorine-free foam products given the absence of data. Oral chronic drinking water exposure studies on adult pairs of northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) were conducted with a short-chain fluorinated and a fluorine-free foam: Buckeye Platinum Plus C6 and National Foam Avio Green KHC, respectively, at three exposure concentrations (0.01%, 0.1% and 0.25%). Adults were monitored for survival, growth, and reproductive output and chicks were monitored for survival and growth. Growth parameters in adult quail were not affected by exposure to the Buckeye or Avio foams. However, liver lipid content was higher in adult males exposed to both the Buckeye foam or the Avio foam at the highest exposure concentrations. Chicks were heavier and had higher growth rates after adult exposure to Avio at the highest exposure level (0.25%) and to Buckeye at the 2 lowest exposure levels, but not at the highest exposure level. The two adverse reproductive effects observed from avian exposure to Buckeye were an increased percentage of cracked eggs and earlier arrested embryonic development. Similarly, chronic exposure to Avio also induced earlier arrested embryonic development. These results show that the fluorine-free foam tested did cause toxicity to bobwhite quail, but whether they pose a risk at contaminated sites requires further laboratory and field study, and additional exposure data.