Maternal transfer of PFASs in hooded seals

Environmental contaminants such as PFASs can be transferred from mother to offspring through the placenta and mother's milk. PFASs are human-made chemicals which have been used in a number of products such as food packaging because they repel grease, water and stains and are heat resistant. Since it was discovered that they pose a risk, some PFASs have been phased out, but they are not universally banned.
Researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway report on samples collected from lactating hooded seal mothers and their pups in West Ice, just east of Greenland. An article about the research is published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (News Item ScienceDaily, 24 October 2016).
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