Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Sub-Antarctic Seabirds: Insights into Long-Range Transport and Bioaccumulation of Legacy and Replacement Chemicals

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread
environmental
pollutants that can bioaccumulate in biota and cause a variety of
adverse effects. Seabirds are useful bioindicators of pollutants in
marine food webs because they are apex predators with broadly known
diets and distributions, and concentrations in their tissues therefore
reflect background exposure in particular regions and ecosystems.
Concentrations of PFAS are high in seabirds in the Northern Hemisphere,
but there have been few studies in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly
in the sub-Antarctic, and these mostly involved a limited target list
of PFAS. We detected 22 PFAS, of a target list of 39 compounds, in
three species of procellariform seabirds (albatrosses and petrels)
with different diets and migration strategies, sampled in two areas
in the southwest Atlantic Ocean in 2004–2014. PFAS concentrations
are reported for the first time in common diving petrels and white-chinned
petrels. Concentrations in liver tissue varied significantly among
species and years, with ΣPFAS ranging over 2 orders of magnitude
from 0.08 to 7.5 ng/g (ww). Despite this variation in total concentrations,
chemical contamination profiles were broadly similar, comprising mainly
perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (∼80%) and perfluoroalkyl
carboxylic acids (PFCAs) (∼15%), suggesting PFAS fingerprints
are much the same despite the contrasting diets, trophic levels and
distributions. This signature closely reflects mixtures found in south
Atlantic waters and provides evidence of long-range transport of atmospheric
precursors. Emerging compounds of concern including hexafluoropropylene
oxide dimer acid (HFPO–DA), dodeceafluoro-3H-,4,8-dioxanonoate
(ADONA), and short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were detected
in some samples. This study provides evidence of contamination in
biota and highlights the value of biomonitoring of remote environments.