Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and mercury in Arctic Alaska coastal fishes of subsistence importance.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and mercury (Hg) are harmful compounds that are widely present in the environment, partly due to spills and atmospheric pollution. The presence of PFAS and Hg in the tissues of animals that are harvested by rural and Indigenous Alaskans is of great concern, yet fishes in Arctic Alaska have not previously been assessed for concentrations of PFAS. Fish species of subsistence and recreational importance were collected from nearshore Beaufort and Chukchi Sea, Alaska habitats and assessed for PFAS and total mercury concentrations [THg]. We found multiple PFAS compounds present at low levels (< 3 μg/kg) in the muscle tissue of inconnu, broad whitefish, Dolly Varden char, Arctic flounder, saffron cod, humpback whitefish, and least cisco. Additionally, [THg] in these fishes were well below levels triggering local fish consumption guidelines (< 170 μg/kg). These initial results indicate no evidence of the Alaska Arctic nearshore fish species examined as an avenue of PFAS or Hg exposure to people who harvest them. However, sources and trends of these contaminants in the Arctic require further investigation.