In a review article published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, scientists from Iceland and Germany detail the occurrence and ecotoxicity of non-degradable per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in polar regions. As global warming accelerates the melting of the cryosphere, PFAS are released into the marine realm with meltwater and bioaccumulate in polar trophic food chains, presenting arctic and antarctic wildlife with new challenges and uncertainties. The publication emphasises the urgency to fully understand the impacts of PFAS on organisms and ecosystems, and lays out management and mitigation strategies, as well as options for bioremediation for PFAS in polar systems.

Read the article here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1559941/full 

Arulananthan A, Vilhelmsson OÞ, Karsten U, Grossart H-P, Sigurbjörnsdóttir A, Rolfsson Ó, Joerss H and Scholz B (2025) Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the cryosphere – occurrence, organismic accumulation, ecotoxicological impacts, transformation, and management strategies. Front. Environ. Sci. 13:1559941. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1559941