Document Type

Honors Paper

Advisor

Joseph Schroeder

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

A group of synthetic chemicals, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the environment and have significant detrimental effects on physiology and behavior. Planaria have recently increased in popularity as a model for toxicology and regeneration research. These organisms possess a primitive centralized nervous system that is thought to be more similar to the vertebrate brain than to other invertebrate brains in terms of structure and function, and possesses the same neuronal subpopulations and neurotransmitters as the mammalian brain. While other studies have investigated the behavioral effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on planaria, there is still limited research on these effects at environmentally relevant concentrations. The development of PFAS compound hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) began in 2009 as a replacement for PFOA. However, research suggests that it has the potential to be just as toxic or even more toxic than PFOA. This study investigates the effects of GenX on acute toxicity, locomotor activity, and regeneration, as well as the potential neuroprotective effects of blueberry anthocyanins on GenX-induced neurotoxicity in Dugesia japonica. We also sampled water from the Thames River as well as soil and artificial turf infill at Connecticut College to investigate environmental concentrations of PFAS on campus. Results suggest that planaria are an effective toxicology model for measuring the effects of GenX and potentially other environmental contaminants.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.