Supplementary materials

Explore supporting resources that help explain our work in Antarctic marine ecosystems.
© Felipe Trueba

FAQs

PFAS are found in the environment (water, soil and air) and in consumer products due to their persistence, accumulating in humans and animals. They are commonly present in non-stick coatings (Teflon), waterproof clothing, carpets, food packaging, cosmetics and firefighting foams.

Although Antarctica is far from industrial centers, chemical pollution spreads on a global scale. PFAS can reach Antarctica through atmospheric transport, ocean currents and local human activities.

Various scientific studies have found PFAS in snow and ice, seawater, sediment, and even in marine animals such as birds and mammals.

PFAS have been detected in various species within the Antarctic ecosystem, such as penguins, seals, seabirds, fish, and krill.

Some PFAS are regulated under international agreements such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which aims to eliminate or restrict hazardous chemical substances that persist in the environment.

Some PFAS have been linked to immune system disruption, hormonal changes, developmental problems, and an increased risk of certain diseases.

Due to their high chemical stability, PFAS are difficult to remove, although technologies are under development for their treatment in water and soil, still with limitations in scale and cost.

Because they allow for a better understanding of global pollution, health risks, and the environment
and how to protect vulnerable ecosystems.

Glossary

It is a group of organic compounds that persist in the environment. They can travel long distances and accumulate in living organisms. They cause adverse health and environmental effects.
We are a group of human-made chemicals that do not degrade easily and remain in the environment for a long time. We are used in products to repel water, grease, and heat; non-stick coatings; food packaging; and textiles. We are known as “forever chemicals”.
The mass of water extending from the surface to the bottom sediment, including all its layers. Various organisms live in the water column depending on the depth, from phytoplankton on the surface to fish and microorganisms in deeper zones.
Biological signals or measurements that allow the detection of exposure to pollutants, stress, or changes in an organism's health.
A process by which a pollutant accumulates in an organism throughout its life, generally by absorbing it directly from the water.
The process by which a pollutant increases its concentration as it moves up the food chain. Each time an organism feeds on another, it accumulates more pollutant. An example of this is heavy metals.
It is that which was generated in the past and remains present today, even though those substances are no longer used or released.
It is the set of feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem. It shows who eats whom and how energy flows in nature. Unlike a simple (linear) food chain, a food web is a complex network, where the same species can feed on several others and, at the same time, be food for different predators.