Whales contribute to novel insight on poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances bioaccumulation in the East China Sea
By Tao Zhang, Tianhui Zhao, Ziyang Wei, Guang Yang, Cheng Gu, Bingyao Chen, and Bo Zhang
Environ. Pollut.
January 19, 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127662
We quantified twenty-four poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)—including perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs), perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), emerging PFAS as well as PFAS precursors—in tissue samples of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Eden's whale (Balaenoptera edeni), and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) from the East China Sea. Median long-chain PFCA concentrations (0.16–5.24 ng/g ww) significantly exceeded short-chain homolog levels (0.04–0.19 ng/g ww) across whale tissues. As the alternative of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), moreover, 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) was ubiquitous in whales (median: 0.42 ng/g ww), regardless of tissue types. Tissue-specific accumulation analysis showed that the distribution pattern of 6:2 Cl-PFESA resembled that of PFOS whereas the tissue distribution patterns were different between short-chain and long-chain PFCAs. In order to examine the species-specific accumulation, we also compared the results found in whales by this study with the results observed in finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) by our previous study. Interestingly, fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylates (FTUCAs) were detected in all whales but absence in finless porpoises; conversely, varied 6:2 Cl-PFESA/PFOS concentration ratios in tissues were also found among all species with the maximum value at 1.12 in sperm whale. Therefore, marine monitoring of PFAS relying on a single bioindicator species can be biased, and our results indicated high accumulation patterns of long-chain PFCAs and 6:2 Cl-PFESA in those species living in offshore with whales as bioindicators.
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