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

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.