Ubiquitous global use of persistent PFAS threatens Arctic Indigenous peoples for decades to come

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found in the environment worldwide due to their ubiquitous usage, global transport, and biological persistence. Here, we estimate the temporal dietary exposure to long-range-transported PFAS during 2006–2020 in the East Greenland Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Sound) community based on consumption of traditional marine foods as compared with internationally established tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for immune toxicity of 4.4 ng/kg body weight. We found a biomagnification factor of 4–10 between ringed seal:polar bear and estimate that ∼90% of the Ittoqqortoormiit community exceeded the established ∑4PFAS TWI by 13-fold through consumption of polar bears and ringed seals. We estimate that the average inhabitant will continue to exceed established toxicity guidelines until 2090, posing the risk of immune suppression and disease susceptibility. Our findings emphasize the need for additional regulation of PFAS and the development of non-toxic sustainable compounds through international collaboration, not least through the Stockholm Convention.