Silicone Bands on Magellanic Penguins Used to Measure Trace PFAS Levels in Remote Argentina

Researchers fitted Magellanic penguins with silicone passive sampler bands on the remote southern coastline of Argentina, a non-invasive method that allowed the birds to gather data on chemical exposure while foraging. More than 90 percent of the bands detected polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

Ralph Vanstreels, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California-Davis and co-author of the study, said the concentration was not high but was found consistently.

Silicone passive sampler bands absorb chemicals from water, air and surfaces. Samples were gathered from 55 penguins over three breeding seasons. One band was removed after suspected discomfort to the penguin and one band went missing after deployment.

The study using SPS bands on penguins was published in March in the journal Earth: Environmental Sustainability. Fitting the band took two wildlife veterinarians around three minutes. The band was modified to include a small piece of stainless-steel wiring tailored to the width of each penguin’s leg.

"We’ve been looking for alternatives to measure pollution on these species for long time," Ralph Vanstreels stated. Traditional ocean monitoring is expensive and inefficient, requiring a boat and a lengthy expedition with a crew. Penguins forage widely in the ocean, providing a natural opportunity to passively collect data.

Samples were analyzed using mass spectrometry in Diana Aga’s lab in Buffalo. Diana Aga is an analytical chemist at the University at Buffalo and lead chemist on the study. The analysis targeted a mix of 24 legacy PFAS and new replacement PFAS.

There are more than 7 million unique variants of PFAS. Many legacy PFAS have been banned or are no longer produced. Replacement PFAS are not regulated. "There’s a rise in the replacement PFAS, which makes sense, but it’s also concerning," Diana Aga stated.

The negative health impact of PFAS on wildlife has been documented in hundreds of studies. Analysis from the Environmental Working Group identified PFAS in more than 600 species. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in non-stick cookware, raincoats, firefighting foam and pharmaceuticals.

PFAS are resistant to water, grease, chemicals and heat. Cnn reported that the durability makes them hard to break down and they build up in the environment. 57 birds were fitted with bands for the study.

Of those, just one had its band removed after Ralph Vanstreels suspected some discomfort. The team monitored the penguins from a distance after attaching each band to ensure they were comfortable. "Making them to size for each individual penguin gives us more confidence that it’s not going to fall off, and it’s not going to cause discomfort," Ralph Vanstreels stated according to Cnn.

The interdisciplinary team gathered the samples inspired by wristband samplers that humans can wear to measure exposure to contaminants. 13 of the 18 recognized penguin species have declining global populations or are listed as threatened. Magellanic penguins are not endangered.

African penguins are critically endangered. Cormorants can dive more than 150 feet below the water’s surface. Vanstreels and Aga hope this study can serve as a proof of concept for further research and plan to test the method on other wildlife such as cormorants.

Cnn reported that the researchers also intend to continue monitoring penguin exposure during winter migration north to Uruguay and Brazil.