A recent study has found PFAS in penguin eggs in the remote Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (Antarctica). This is the first time PFAS have been reported in penguins from this region.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are a family of over 10,000 highly persistent chemicals. PFAS are extremely persistent, meaning they hardly degrade in the natural environment. They have been found in the blood and breast milk of people and wildlife around the world.

The new study by researchers from Italy and Denmark is the first to find PFAS in Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area. Adélie penguins are considered to be good sentinel species for monitoring pollutants in the environment.

The study analysed 23 abandoned, unhatched eggs collected from three different colonies along the Ross Sea coasts. Nine different PFAS chemicals were detected, including PFOA and PFOS, two of the most studied chemicals in the PFAS family. Both chemicals are restricted globally under the Stockholm Convention, but they continue to be found in our environment due to their extreme persistence.

The researchers also found other persistent chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and flame retardants.

This research again shows that persistent and harmful pollutants are now ubiquitous in our environment and can be found in even the most remote places.

Wildlife is facing a multitude of threats to its survival, including climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss. Chemical pollution adds yet another stressor to this list.

CHEM Trust, along with other NGOs, is calling for all PFAS to be banned in consumer products as soon as possible and for a complete ban to be put in place by 2030 – both in the UK and EU.

Read more about the effects of PFAS here.

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