Scientists have discovered a previously unreported class of PFAS chemicals that accumulate in killer whale blubber, challenging long-held assumptions about how these toxic compounds behave in marine life.
Rob Hutchins reports for Oceanographic Magazine.
In short:
- Researchers identified five new types of fluorotelomer sulfones — fat-attracting PFAS compounds — in the blubber of killer whales from Greenland and Sweden.
- Unlike most known PFAS, which tend to build up in liver or blood, these new substances accumulate in fatty tissue, making species with thick blubber especially vulnerable.
- Because blubber can make up half a marine mammal’s body mass, current estimates of PFAS exposure may dramatically understate the actual chemical burden.
Key quote:
“These findings suggest we may be underestimating the PFAS body burden in marine mammals. Blubber can represent up to half of a marine mammal’s body mass, so neglecting fat-soluble PFAS could significantly undermine the accuracy of exposure assessments.”
— Jonathan Benskin, professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University
Why this matters:
The discovery that new types of PFAS can hide out in fat instead of the usual protein-rich organs expands the scope of concern. Killer whales are apex predators, so their contamination signals widespread, layered pollution throughout the marine food web. And because marine mammals form part of traditional diets in some Indigenous communities, the chemicals may be making their way into human bodies too. As PFAS continue to be used in products from clothing to food packaging, their presence in blubber adds another layer of complexity to regulating these persistent pollutants.
Related: Opinion: Invisible pollutants are infiltrating our bodies and the planet
