Ubiquitous global use of persistent PFAS threatens Arctic Indigenous peoples for decades to come

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ubiquitous global use of persistent PFAS threatens Arctic Indigenous peoples for decades to come

AU - Sonne, Christian

AU - Gustavson, Kim

AU - Bossi, Rossana

AU - Søndergaard, Jens

AU - Desforges, Jean-Pierre

AU - Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

AU - Dietz, Rune

PY - 2025/3/28

Y1 - 2025/3/28

N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found in the environment worldwide due to their ubiquitous usage, global transport, and biological persistence. Here, we estimate the temporal dietary exposure to long-range-transported PFAS during 2006–2020 in the East Greenland Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Sound) community based on consumption of traditional marine foods as compared with internationally established tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for immune toxicity of 4.4 ng/kg body weight. We found a biomagnification factor of 4–10 between ringed seal:polar bear and estimate that ∼90% of the Ittoqqortoormiit community exceeded the established ∑4PFAS TWI by 13-fold through consumption of polar bears and ringed seals. We estimate that the average inhabitant will continue to exceed established toxicity guidelines until 2090, posing the risk of immune suppression and disease susceptibility. Our findings emphasize the need for additional regulation of PFAS and the development of non-toxic sustainable compounds through international collaboration, not least through the Stockholm Convention.

AB - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found in the environment worldwide due to their ubiquitous usage, global transport, and biological persistence. Here, we estimate the temporal dietary exposure to long-range-transported PFAS during 2006–2020 in the East Greenland Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Sound) community based on consumption of traditional marine foods as compared with internationally established tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for immune toxicity of 4.4 ng/kg body weight. We found a biomagnification factor of 4–10 between ringed seal:polar bear and estimate that ∼90% of the Ittoqqortoormiit community exceeded the established ∑4PFAS TWI by 13-fold through consumption of polar bears and ringed seals. We estimate that the average inhabitant will continue to exceed established toxicity guidelines until 2090, posing the risk of immune suppression and disease susceptibility. Our findings emphasize the need for additional regulation of PFAS and the development of non-toxic sustainable compounds through international collaboration, not least through the Stockholm Convention.

KW - Arctic

KW - disease

KW - EFSA

KW - European Food Safety Authority

KW - PFAS

KW - PFOA

KW - PFOS

KW - PFNA

KW - planetary health

KW - UN SDGs

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000185101&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100341

DO - 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100341

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2949-7906

VL - 2

JO - Cell Reports Sustainability

JF - Cell Reports Sustainability

IS - 3

M1 - 100341

ER -