　　Ion Chromatography and Emerging Contaminants Analysis Group

　　Dr. Yaqi Cai is currently a professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Science(CAS).He received his B.S and M.S from Lanzhou University in 1985 and 1988, and his Ph.D from the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in 2003. From 1988 to 2000, he worked in China Agricultural University as a teacher, and finally was hired as an associate professor. After obtaining PH.D in 2003, he joined the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, and got the current position at the beginning of 2005. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed SCI papers so far in some famous journals, such as Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Science & Technology, Chemical Communications, Journal of Materials Chemistry, Journal of Chromatography A et al. He is a recipient of the second prize National Natural Science Award.

Research interests: (1)the analytical method, environmental behavior, bioaccumulation, and human exposure of emerging contaminants; (2) the preparation of novel composite nano-materials and their application in the field of environment science and analytical chemistry.

Contact: E-mail: caiyaqi@rcees.ac.cn；Tel: 010-62849239；Fax: 010-62849180

Tissue Distribution in Crucian Carp, human exposure and Elimination Kinetics of Polyfluoroalkyl Ether Sulfonic Acid (C8 Cl-PFESA, F-53B)

　　Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Lin Xu, Xiaowei Song, Zhen Zhou, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*

　　We report the first detection of F-53B in biological samples and determine the tissue distribution and whole body bioaccumulation factors (BAFwhole body) in crucian carp (Carassius carassius). The result showed that F-53B is widespread in fish samples and displayed similar tissue distribution to PFOS. Median Log BAFwhole body values for F-53B exceeded regulatory bioaccumulation criterion and were significantly higher than PFOS in the same data sets. Further study on human exposure and elimination kinetics showed that F-53B was detected in all three population groups, including high fish consumers, metal plating workers and background control group and displayed higher accumulation in human than PFOS. Estimated half-lives for renal clearance of F-53B are much higher than those of PFOS, suggesting that F-53B is the most biopersistent PFAS in humans reported to date. At the same time, the 20-fold difference between renal excretion and total elimination half-lives indicates that other routes of clearance than urine are important for F-53B. In addition, the contribution of Cl-PFESAs to the total PFASs is similar to PFCAs and PFSAs in metal plating workers. The organic fluorine equivalents of Cl-PFESAs in serum for background control group and high fish consumers are comparable to or higher than the range of arithmetic mean values of unidentified organic fluorine in human serum from five different cities in China. This finding indicated Cl-PFESAs may explain a substantial fraction of previously unidentified organic fluorine in the Chinese population. And it would be of help in understanding the environmental and health risks of PFASs.

Tissue distribution in crucian carp, human exposure and elimination of F-53B

References:

　　1. Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Lin Xu, Zhen Zhou, Chuangxiu Li, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016, 50(5), 2396-2404.

　　2.Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Zhen Zhou, Xiaowei Song, Lin Xu, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49(24), 14156-14165.

Group Leader: Prof. Yaqi Cai

Member

Hongyun Niu	Associate Professor
Yali Shi	Associate Professor
Lin Xu	Assistant Professor

Students	Degree	Year
Yuan Wang	Ph.D	2013
Saihua Wang	Ph.D	2014
Sijing He	Ph.D	2015
Liqin Zhi	Ph.D	2013
Xiaowei Song	Master	2014
Juan Wang	Master	2015
Yang Zheng	Master	2015
Jie Gao	Master	2013
Chuangxiu Li	Master	2014 (joint-training)
Xudan He	Master	2014 (joint-training)
Shipeng Yang	Ph.D	2015 (joint-training)

Representative Publications:

　　1. Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Lin Xu, Zhen Zhou, Chuangxiu Li, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*, Human Exposure and Elimination Kinetics of Chlorinated Polyfluoroalkyl Ether Sulfonic Acids (Cl-PFESAs), Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016, 50(5), 2396-2404.

　　2. Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Zhen Zhou, Xiaowei Song, Lin Xu, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*, Tissue distribution and whole body burden of the chlorinated polyfluoroluoroether sulfonic acid, F-53B, in crucian carp (Carassius carassius): Evidence for a highly bioaccumulative contaminant of emerging concern, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49(24), 14156-14165.

　　3. Zhen Zhou, Yali Shi, Robin Vestergren, Thanh Wang, Yong Liang, Yaqi Cai*, Highly Elevated Serum Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Fishery Employees from Tangxun Lake, China, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 3864-3874.