Transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from the aquatic environment to the terrestrial ecosystem: mechanisms and ecological effects

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of environmental pollutants that have been suspected to cause adverse effects to wildlife and humans. Despite intensive research on their environmental contamination, there is still a lack of understanding on their sources, transport and environmental risk. In particular, insect subsidies can act as vectors of both nutrients and aquatic pollutants to the terrestrial compartment, but this biodriven mechanism has not been explored for PFASs. The aims of this project are to investigate the transfer mechanisms of aquatic PFASs to the terrestrial ecosystem, and to examine whether high PFAS contamination load in the aquatic environment can affect the composition and abundance of insects in the adjacent terrestrial ecosystem.