Legacy and Novel Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Juvenile Seabirds from the U.S. Atlantic Coast

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic, globally
distributed chemicals. Legacy PFAS, including perfluorooctane sulfonate
(PFOS), have been regularly detected in marine fauna but little is
known about their current levels or the presence of novel PFAS in
seabirds. We measured 36 emerging and legacy PFAS in livers from 31
juvenile seabirds from Massachusetts Bay, Narragansett Bay, and the
Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE), United States. PFOS was the major
legacy perfluoroalkyl acid present, making up 58% of concentrations
observed across all habitats (range: 11–280 ng/g). Novel PFAS
were confirmed in chicks hatched downstream of a fluoropolymer production
site in the CFRE: a perfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (Nafion byproduct
2; range: 1–110 ng/g) and two perfluorinated ether carboxylic
acids (PFO4DA and PFO5DoDA; PFO5DoDA
range: 5–30 ng/g). PFOS was inversely associated with phospholipid
content in livers from CFRE and Massachusetts Bay individuals, while
δ 13C, an indicator of marine versus terrestrial
foraging, was positively correlated with some long-chain PFAS in CFRE
chick livers. There is also an indication that seabird phospholipid
dynamics are negatively impacted by PFAS, which should be further
explored given the importance of lipids for seabirds.