Dr. Cheng-Shiuan Lee at the Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, collaborated with teams from Stony Brook University, Beneath the Waves, and Cape Eleuthera Institute, acquiring muscle tissue samples from various shark species from two contrasting marine ecosystems: the New York Bight (NYB) and the waters of the Bahamas Archipelago. A precise analytical method was exerted to measure 40 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of contaminants of emerging concern that have been drawing numerous attention in recent years. They are highly persistent in the environment and may pose adverse impacts to marine ecosystems. Moreover, consuming seafood is a primary pathway of human exposure to PFAS. This study is the first to report on PFAS in multiple shark species along the northwest Atlantic coast. It also compares how human activities influence PFAS in sharks within these two distinct marine environments. Our results revealed that although various PFAS can accumulate in marine organisms, their accumulation mechanisms and patterns differ from those of traditionally studied bioaccumulative pollutants. Our study provides a dataset of PFAS in diverse sharks from the coastal Northwest Atlantic Ocean, serving as a baseline for policy-making against PFAS contamination in these two critical marine ecosystems and seafood safety for human exposure.

Link to full article:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c02044

Further information: https://rcec.sinica.edu.tw/index.php?action=researchDetail&id=59

News on Academia Sinica： https://www.sinica.edu.tw/en/News_Content/36/2702