Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ threatening Antarctica wildlife, scientists warn

Toxic “forever” chemicals from non-stick pans and water-repellent clothing have increased markedly in Antarctica, where they could be harming wildlife such as penguins, seals and whales, scientists say.

The experts say substances developed to replace ozone-depleting CFCs found in fridges are among the probable sources of the relatively new contamination.

And they believe the southernmost continent, one of Earth’s remotest places, serves as a global barometer for the chemical industry.

Known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally in the environment, perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) are used to make non-stick pan coatings, water-repellents for clothing and in firefighting foams.

One of them, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which accumulates in food chains, is toxic to humans, having been linked to immune system impairment and infertility.

In a new study, published by the journal Environmental Science & Technology, scientists who studied compacted snow in eastern Antarctica found levels of the pollutants have drastically risen over the past few decades.

The most abundant chemical discovered by far was perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA). Concentrations of it rose significantly from around the year 2000 until the samples were taken in 2017.

An almost-global ban on PFOA took effect in 2020.

But Prof Crispin Halsall of Lancaster University, who led the study, told The Independent there was no signs of it reducing in the environment.

“It’s worrying that the chemicals are still loading into the environment despite both voluntary and international legislation aimed at banning use of PFOA,” he said.

Whether the substances are harming Antarctic wildlife remains unproven, he said, but there was lots of evidence that chemicals at the Arctic were harming birds and that residues of the chemicals were in Antarctic wildlife.

“We demonstrate that the Antarctic serves as a global barometer for the chemicals industry.”

The industry had argued it had cleaned up its act by switching two decades ago to shorter-chain chemicals, which are less harmful. Prof Halsall said: “And we can see evidence of some of that – some of the shorter-chain ones had increased markedly.”

However, the older chemicals had not gone away but had been joined by growing volumes of newer substances.

The researchers believe the chemicals are released at industrial manufacturing sites, then eventually degrade in sunlight. Snowfall over the years has deposited them, creating a historical record now trapped in packed snow.

Anna Jones, director of science at the British Antarctic Survey, said: “These findings are a sobering reminder that our industrial activities have global consequences.

“Antarctica, so remote from industrial processes, holds this next signal of human activity arising from emissions thousands of miles away. The snow and ice of Antarctica are critical archives of our changing impact on our planet”.