Behavioural, developmental and reproductive toxicological impacts of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) in Caenorhabditis elegans

Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) is ubiquitous in the environment, and its concentrations are likely to increase with time due to its usage as a substitute for the restricted long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Consequently, concerns have arisen about its potential risks to ecological health. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the impacts of PFBA on Caenorhabditis elegans (model invertebrate). The median lethality (48 h LC50) of PFBA was 2.86 mM (612.15 mg/L). This study revealed a significant alteration in nematodes' fecundity, growth, chemotaxis plasticity, and locomotion behavior following exposure to 0.01 mM PFBA (2.14 mg/L). Bioaccumulation was insignificant with a bioaccumulation factor of 0.59 following its exposure to 0.107 mg/L PFBA. This study demonstrates PFBA is less toxic than its long-chain counterpart, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). To our knowledge, this is the first report on PFBA toxicity to C. elegans and the findings are important for environmental risk assessment and management of PFBA.