{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T23:18:57Z","timestamp":1787008737571,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"2","funder":[{"name":"Department of Defense\u2019s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program","award":["ER20-1518"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ER20-1518"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are widely used fire suppression products that have been identified as a direct source of environmental per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure has demonstrated chronic and sublethal effects on biota. Ongoing efforts aim to reduce and, ideally, eliminate PFAS use in AFFF products. However, there is little known about the potential toxic effects of the new PFAS-free AFFFs, specifically on benthic organisms. The objective of this study is to quantify the effects of seven AFFFs on growth in the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, over a 21-day exposure period with juvenile animals. Additionally, AFFF effects are reported from algal toxicity assays and a feeding study. Five of the PFAS-free AFFFs negatively impacted growth over the exposure period, while one PFAS-free AFFF and the reference PFAS-containing AFFF had no observable effect. Median effect concentrations (EC50) for shell growth ranged from 5.81\u2009mg\/L to &amp;gt;100\u2009mg\/L. Clam dry and wet weights also decreased with increasing exposure concentration (p\u2009\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.05). Algal growth was impacted over a 96-hr exposure. Impacts were observed to final standing biomass and overall growth rates at the highest exposure concentrations. However, complete lethality was only observed for one PFAS-free product, suggesting lack of food availability was likely not the primary driver of growth inhibition for all products. Net particle clearance rates in AFFF-exposed clams were not found to be impacted, suggesting there was no obvious AFFF influence on organismal feeding ability. The presented results identify chronic effects of exposure to these AFFFs in this economically and ecologically important bivalve species and are expected to inform decisions regarding PFAS replacement AFFF products.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/etojnl\/vgaf287","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T14:03:16Z","timestamp":1764943396000},"page":"398-407","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Replacement per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-free aqueous film-forming foams impact growth more than a PFAS-containing product in the hard clam,\n                    <i>Mercenaria mercenaria<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"45","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9613-2184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan A","family":"Stewart","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Consolidated Safety Services, Inc. , Charleston, South Carolina,","place":["United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katy W","family":"Chung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Charleston, South Carolina,","place":["United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter B","family":"Key","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Charleston, South Carolina,","place":["United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edward F","family":"Wirth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Charleston, South Carolina,","place":["United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marie E","family":"DeLorenzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Charleston, South Carolina,","place":["United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B1","author":"Ananth","year":"2020"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1520\/E1218-21","volume-title":"Standard guide for conducting static toxicity tests with microalgae (E1218).","author":"ASTM International","year":"2021"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"866","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2018.12.186","article-title":"The overlooked short- and ultrashort-chain poly- and perfluorinated substances: A review","volume":"220","author":"Ateia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1186\/s12302-018-0134-4","article-title":"Short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids: Environmental concerns and a regulatory strategy under REACH","volume":"30","author":"Brendel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environmental Sciences Europe"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1002\/ieam.258","article-title":"Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: Terminology, classification, and origins","volume":"7","author":"Buck","year":"2011","journal-title":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2006.10.009","article-title":"Use of the juvenile clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, as a sensitive indicator of aqueous and sediment toxicity","volume":"67","author":"Chung","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00355716","article-title":"The estimation of filtering rate from the clearance of suspensions","volume":"2","author":"Coughlan","year":"1969","journal-title":"Marine Biology"},{"key":"2026020503483609600_vgaf287-B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1803","DOI":"10.1039\/c9em00163h","article-title":"The concept of essential use for determining when uses of PFASs can be phased out","volume":"21","author":"Cousins","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environmental Science. 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