Widespread presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Greenland

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, mobile, and globally distributed environmental pollutants 1. Despite decades of detection across the Arctic, their presence in Greenland’s snow and freshwater systems remains poorly characterized 2. This is concerning, given that the Greenland Ice Sheet is particularly vulnerable to global atmospheric pollution and warming trends and has historically received long-range atmospheric inputs 3. Here, we present the first spatial assessment of PFAS in snow and surface water across the Greenland Ice Sheet and the coastal regions of South and West Greenland, based on forty-five samples. We show that short-chain fluorinated acids, particularly perfluorobutanoic acid, are widespread, with notable presence in the interior of the ice sheet. This pattern aligns with atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursors, including industrial replacements for ozone-depleting substances 4. Concentration patterns follow precipitation trends, which indicate atmospheric scavenging as a key deposition mechanism. These results emphasize how atmospheric transformation and transport disperse PFAS to distant areas and underscore the critical need for ongoing monitoring in rapidly changing polar regions.