Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters
Abstract Perfluoroalkyl acids have been widely used during the last fifty years in a myriad of industrial and consumer applications, and are a paradigm of persistent “forever chemicals”. Earlier studies suggested a limited occurrence in the Southern Ocean as a consequence of the Antarctic circumpola...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02535-3 |
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| _version_ | 1849388788715880448 |
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| author | Núria Trilla-Prieto Jordi Dachs Jon Iriarte Naiara Berrojalbiz Pere Colomer-Vidal Gemma Casas Odei Garcia-Garin Maria Vila-Costa Begoña Jiménez |
| author_facet | Núria Trilla-Prieto Jordi Dachs Jon Iriarte Naiara Berrojalbiz Pere Colomer-Vidal Gemma Casas Odei Garcia-Garin Maria Vila-Costa Begoña Jiménez |
| author_sort | Núria Trilla-Prieto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Perfluoroalkyl acids have been widely used during the last fifty years in a myriad of industrial and consumer applications, and are a paradigm of persistent “forever chemicals”. Earlier studies suggested a limited occurrence in the Southern Ocean as a consequence of the Antarctic circumpolar current preventing their oceanic transport southwards. Here we show perfluoroalkyl acids in the Bransfield Strait and Bellingshausen Sea (west of Antarctic Peninsula) at concentrations of comparable magnitude to those measured in the North Atlantic, a region impacted by historical sources. Atmospheric wet deposition of perfluoroalkyl acids previously aerosolized by sea-spray arises as the perfluoroalkyl acids source to Antarctica. The prevailing marine and atmospheric circulation in the region encapsulate these chemicals in the Antarctic region once these have crossed the Antarctic divergence. This work underscores the importance of persistence driving chemical’s environmental risk, and raises concern on the impact of the larger pool of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4c418dcc48b146e0b2cbeb5e4c808b81 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-4c418dcc48b146e0b2cbeb5e4c808b812025-08-20T03:42:10ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-07-01611810.1038/s43247-025-02535-3Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic watersNúria Trilla-Prieto0Jordi Dachs1Jon Iriarte2Naiara Berrojalbiz3Pere Colomer-Vidal4Gemma Casas5Odei Garcia-Garin6Maria Vila-Costa7Begoña Jiménez8Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, IQOG-CSICDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Universitat de BarcelonaDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSICDepartment of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, IQOG-CSICAbstract Perfluoroalkyl acids have been widely used during the last fifty years in a myriad of industrial and consumer applications, and are a paradigm of persistent “forever chemicals”. Earlier studies suggested a limited occurrence in the Southern Ocean as a consequence of the Antarctic circumpolar current preventing their oceanic transport southwards. Here we show perfluoroalkyl acids in the Bransfield Strait and Bellingshausen Sea (west of Antarctic Peninsula) at concentrations of comparable magnitude to those measured in the North Atlantic, a region impacted by historical sources. Atmospheric wet deposition of perfluoroalkyl acids previously aerosolized by sea-spray arises as the perfluoroalkyl acids source to Antarctica. The prevailing marine and atmospheric circulation in the region encapsulate these chemicals in the Antarctic region once these have crossed the Antarctic divergence. This work underscores the importance of persistence driving chemical’s environmental risk, and raises concern on the impact of the larger pool of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02535-3 |
| spellingShingle | Núria Trilla-Prieto Jordi Dachs Jon Iriarte Naiara Berrojalbiz Pere Colomer-Vidal Gemma Casas Odei Garcia-Garin Maria Vila-Costa Begoña Jiménez Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters |
| title_full | Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters |
| title_fullStr | Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters |
| title_short | Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in Antarctic waters |
| title_sort | accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids as forever chemicals in antarctic waters |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02535-3 |
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