Decades of large-scale production of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have
resulted in their ubiquitous presence in the environment worldwide. Similarly to other
persistent and bioaccumulative organic contaminants, some PFASs, particularly the
long-chain congeners, can be biomagnified via food webs, making top predators vulnerable
to elevated PFAS exposure. In this study, we measured seven classes of PFASs in bald
eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) eggs for the first time. The eggs (n = 22) were collected
from the North American Great Lakes in 2000-2012. The ranges of total concentrations
of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (∑PFSAs) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (∑PFCAs)
were 30.5-1650 and 5.4-216 ng/g wet weight (ww), respectively. In addition to these
traditional PFAS compounds, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS; median: 15.7 ng/g
ww), perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexanesulfonic acid (PFECHS; 0.22 ng/g ww), and 8-chloro-perfluorooctanesulfonic
acid (Cl-PFOS, detected in wildlife for the first time; 0.53 ng/g ww) were also frequently
detected. Bald eagle eggs from breeding areas located less than 8 km from a Great
Lake shoreline or tributary had significantly greater total PFAS concentrations (∑PFASs)
than those from breeding areas located further than 8 km (p < 0.05). In these samples,
∑PFASs rivalled the total concentration of brominated flame retardants, and were significantly
greater than those of several other organic contaminants, such as dechlorane-related
compounds, organophosphate esters, and flame retardant metabolites.