Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances
Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are global, persistent, and toxic contaminants. We assessed PFAS concentrations in green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles from the North Pacific. Fifteen compounds were quantified via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry from 62 green turtle and 6 hawksbill plasma samples from Hawai’i, Palmyra Atoll, and the Northern Marianas Islands. Plasma from 14 green turtles severely afflicted with fibropapillomatosis, and eggs from 12 Hawaiian hawksbill nests from 7 females were analyzed. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) predominated in green turtle plasma; perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) predominated in hawksbill tissues. Concentrations were greater in hawksbill than green turtle plasma (p
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Title | Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116875 |
| Authors | Cathryn Wood, George H. Balazs, Marc Rice, Thierry M. Work, T. Todd Jones, Eleanor J. Sterling, Tammy M. Summers, John Brooker, Lauren Kurpita, Cheryl S. King, Jennifer M. Lynch |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | Environmental Pollution |
| Index ID | 70219224 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | National Wildlife Health Center |