Penguins equipped with samplers uncover widespread PFAS in Patagonia

Researchers fitted silicone passive‑sampler bands onto 55 Magellanic penguins in Argentina’s Patagonian region. The low‑impact tags, attached in about three minutes, allowed the birds to collect chemical residues from water, air and surfaces over three breeding seasons.

Analysis of the returned samplers showed PFAS compounds in more than 90 % of the samples, including older substances that are now banned and newer alternatives such as GenX. These persistent chemicals, used in items like rain‑wear and fire‑suppressant foams, resist degradation and have been linked to reproductive, developmental and cancer risks.

The study demonstrates a minimally invasive method for monitoring persistent pollutants in remote ecosystems and could be applied to other wildlife species to expand environmental‑health data.