# Association Between PFAS Contamination and Zooplankton Community Structure in the Weihe River, China

## TL;DR

This study explores how PFAS contamination in China's Weihe River affects zooplankton communities, revealing that short-chain PFAS compounds have significant ecological risks.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel integration of environmental DNA metabarcoding and PLS-PM to assess PFAS impacts on zooplankton communities.

## Key findings

- Short-chain PFAS dominated in the Weihe River and showed similar spatial patterns to zooplankton communities.
- Short-chain PFAS were primarily linked to Cercozoa with negative relationships, while long-chain PFAS correlated with Ciliophora and Rotifera.
- Higher community relative abundance was associated with reduced diversity loss under anthropogenic stress.

## Abstract

Understanding the structure of zooplankton communities in water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is essential to the conservation of aquatic biodiversity. This study focused on the Weihe River and systematically characterized the PFAS pollution. By employing environmental DNA metabarcoding, multivariate statistics, and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM), we systematically analyzed the associations between PFAS and zooplankton within the context of water parameters. The results showed that short-chain PFAS were the dominant PFAS compounds in the Weihe River (accounting for 70.89% of ΣPFAS), and that both PFAS and the zooplankton community exhibited similar spatial patterns. PLS-PM identified a key pathway: water chemistry promoted PFAS accumulation, which in turn exerted taxon-specific effects. Short-chain PFAS were primarily associated with Cercozoa, and path analysis indicated negative relationships, whereas long-chain PFAS were correlated with Ciliophora and Rotifera. Specific taxon within Ciliophora showed potential as bioindicators. Additionally, higher community relative abundance was associated with reduced diversity loss under anthropogenic stress, indicating a potential buffering response. Overall, short-chain PFAS, in combination with water parameters, were associated with higher ecological risk to zooplankton communities. This study highlights the importance of including indirect pathways and taxon-specific responses into risk assessments of emerging contaminants.