Effects of PFAS and trematode infections on tadpoles under experimental conditions

• Grant number: 21/09892-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: December 30, 2021
• End date: December 29, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Grantee: Aline Aguiar
• Supervisor: Jason Rohr
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Notre Dame, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/25554-2 - Does parasite fauna from amphibians respond to variations on integrity of riparian ecosystems?, BP.PD

Abstract

Polifluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of emerging concern that are associated with numerous industrial and consumer products, such as lubricants, adhesives, and surface protectors. PFAS levels have been found in water bodies around the world and numerous experimental studies have demonstrated the toxicity of these contaminants. Aquatic ecosystems and amphibians have been adversely affected by contaminants directly and indirectly by compromising immunity that can increase the risk of infections. In this proposal, we will assess the effects of PFAS exposure on the risk of trematode infections in frogs, exploring the direct effects of a PFAS concentration gradient on the survival of both tadpoles and the free-living trematode parasites (cercariae), as well as indirect effects on infection risk mediated by sublethal effects on frog immunity. We predict that: a) high concentrations of PFAS will directly reduce the survival of both tadpoles and parasites affecting transmission risk; b) lower concentrations of PFAS will have sublethal adverse effects on tadpole development and immune defense; and c) through a combination of direct and indirect effects, PFAS exposure will affect the trematode loads and disease in frogs, but the net direction of this effect is unclear. (AU)