New Study on Antarctic Penguins Reveals PFAS Contamination Has Reached Some of the Most Remote Environments on Earth
Erin Nelson, SETAC Publications Manager
A new study led by Matthew Badia, George Mason University, and published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has found evidence of widespread exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in three penguin species native to the Antarctic Peninsula, raising new questions about the global reach of these persistent environmental pollutants.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their extreme environmental stability, have been increasingly detected across remote ecosystems. In this study, researchers analyzed penguin feathers—a proven biomonitoring tool for persistent pollutants—to assess PFAS accumulation in Antarctic wildlife.
Feather samples collected in 2013 from three penguin species—Adélie, Gentoo and Emperor—were obtained from sites across the Antarctic Peninsula, including the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station, Kopaitic Island and the Chilean General Bernardo O’Higgins Station. The samples were analyzed for 38 different PFAS compounds, and concentrations were compared across species, age groups and locations.
The study found that Emperor penguins had the highest average levels of total PFAS in their feathers, followed by Gentoo and Adélie penguins. The researchers noted that “the differences in PFAS concentrations observed among penguin species are consistent with known differences in feeding ecology, prey composition and food intake rates,” suggesting that diet and position in the food web are key drivers of PFAS accumulation.
Researchers also observed that short-chain PFAS compounds were the most common PFAS type in feathers across all three species. Because this pattern differs from findings in blood plasma, the results suggest that PFAS may accumulate differently in protein-rich tissues such as feathers compared to other tissues.
“This work provides one of the few species-level comparisons of PFAS accumulation in Antarctic penguin feathers,” said Badia. “It establishes an important baseline for understanding how these chemicals are distributed in remote polar ecosystems.”
PFAS contamination has reached some of the most remote environments on Earth, and no species are immune to global chemical pollution. This research underscores the urgency of understanding how these persistent chemicals move through global ecosystems and accumulate in wildlife at all levels of the food chain.
Publication details:
Badia, M., González, D., Sepúlveda, M., Foster, G., Van Aken, B. (2026). Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in archived Antarctic penguin feathers. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgag095
Author contact: [email protected]