Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous, synthetic anthropogenic chemicals known to infiltrate and persist in biological systems as a result of their stability and bioaccumulation potential. This study investigated 15 PFAS, including short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and their presence in a threatened herbivore, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Seven of the 15 PFAS examined were detected in manatee plasma. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (ranging from 0.13 to 166 ng/g ww) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (ranging from 0.038 to 3.52 ng/g ww) were detected in every manatee plasma sample examined (n = 69), with differing medians across sampling sites in Florida, Crystal River (n = 39), Brevard County (n = 18), Everglades National Park (n = 8), and four samples (n = 4) from Puerto Rico. With an herbivorous diet and long life-span, the manatee provides a new perspective to monitoring PFAS contamination.
CITATION STYLE
Palmer, K., Bangma, J. T., Reiner, J. L., Bonde, R. K., Korte, J. E., Boggs, A. S. P., & Bowden, J. A. (2019). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plasma of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 140, 610–615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.010
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