Migratory seabirds bring pollutants from southern waters to the ecologically clean north. These pollutants are per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS), which cause irreparable damage to the nature of the Arctic.
PFAS are chemicals that have been actively used in industry since the middle of the last century. It has been established that chemicals can provoke hormonal failure, worsen wound healing, change the color and hormonal balance of animal and bird eggs.
PFAS are contained in detergents, paint and nail polish. They are used in the production of fast food packaging and candy wrappers.
Every year from March to May kaira birds nest on the rocky cliffs of the Arctic, where they arrive after wintering in the North Atlantic and the Pacific coast. And they bring PFAS with them, clogging up nesting sites, an international group of scientists found out.
Biologists took blood samples from captured birds nesting on Svalbard after they arrived from the south. And they found that the concentration level correlated with southern latitudes.
It has also been found that the level of PFAS in the blood of kaira decreases while the birds are in the Arctic. Scientists have already suggested that pollutants from the droppings and eggs of sea birds enter the eco-environment of the North Pole, hibiny.ru reports.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau Rough&Polished
