Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41315316›Full record

SynthesisNature communications2025

Unravelling the magnitude and drivers of PFAS trophic magnification: a meta-analysis.

Lorenzo Ricolfi, Yefeng Yang, Patrice Pottier, Kyle Morrison, Coralie Williams, Pietro Pollo, Daniel Hesselson, G Gregory Neely, Matthew D Taylor, Shinichi Nakagawa and 1 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Lorenzo RicolfiEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. l.ricolfi@unsw.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-3309
Yefeng YangEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. youngyefeng@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8610-4016
Patrice PottierEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2106-6597
Kyle MorrisonEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3700-2398
Coralie WilliamsEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1312-4953
Pietro PolloEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6555-5400
Daniel HesselsonCentenary Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8675-9426
G Gregory NeelyDr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1957-9732
Matthew D TaylorEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1519-9521
Shinichi NakagawaEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7765-5182
Malgorzata LagiszEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) threaten ecosystems worldwide due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Through a global-scale meta-analysis of 119 aquatic and terrestrial food webs from 64 studies, we analyse 1009 trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for 72 PFAS and identify key variability drivers. On average, PFAS concentrations double with each trophic level increase (mean TMF = 2.00, 95% CI:1.64-2.45), though magnification varies considerably by compound. Notably, the industrial alternative F-53B exhibits the highest magnification (TMF = 3.07, 95% CI:2.41-3.92), a critical finding given its expanding use and minimal regulatory scrutiny. Methodological disparities across studies emerge as the dominant source of TMF variability. Our models explain 85% of the variation in TMFs, underscoring predictive capacity. This synthesis establishes PFAS as persistent trophic multipliers and provides a framework to prioritise high-risk compounds and harmonise biomagnification assessments. Our results call for consideration of stricter PFAS regulation to curb cascading ecological and health impacts.

Indexed as

Environmental PollutantsFluorocarbonsFood ChainWater Pollutants, ChemicalAnimalsEcosystemEnvironmental MonitoringEnvironmental PollutantsFluorocarbonsWater Pollutants, Chemical

Identifiers

PMID41315316
PMCPMC12663151

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.