Ottawa Pub Night - April 23, 2025

Title: Out of the non-stick pan, into our waters: Maternal transfer of perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the Great Lakes' salmonid species and effects on oxidative stress levels throughout embryo development

Speaker: Geneviève Haché, Carleton University

When: Wednesday, April 23rd from 5 – 7 PM

Where: Mike’s Place Pub, 209 Nideyinàn (Formerly UC) at Carleton University – 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa

Cost: Pay what you can - help support our AGM student awards!

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Ottawa Pub Night - Geneviève Haché

April 23, 2025, 5:00–7:00 p.m.|Ottawa

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Abstract:

Extensive industrial and commercial use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has led to their widespread contamination of the Great Lakes. Previous studies suggest maternal offloading of PFOS in wild-caught Lake Michigan salmonid species. This project evaluates PFOS exposure effects throughout the development of rainbow trout eggs: a salmonid species important to the Great Lakes. We exposed rainbow trout eggs at varying concentrations of PFOS (0, 0.03, 0.3, 3,0 & 30 µg/ml in Cortland’s solution). We assessed the following markers of oxidative stress at various timepoints: lipid peroxidation levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and relative glutathione (GSH) abundance. Preliminary results show a general decrease in lipid peroxidation levels, varying SOD activity that lowers significantly in the 0.3 ppm treatment group at week 4 (76% lower than control) and an increase in GSH levels across treatments at week 4 increase (up to 11% above control). PFOS compartmentalization will be tracked through LC-MS/MS analysis of embryo content. The resulting data will provide key insight into the toxic effects of PFOS on salmonid embryo development and its mechanism of accumulation, as well as its broader environmental and ecological impact.