Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances.

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are global, persistent, and toxic contaminants. We assessed PFAS concentrations in green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles from the North Pacific. Fifteen compounds were quantified via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry from 62 green turtle and 6 hawksbill plasma samples from Hawai'i, Palmyra Atoll, and the Northern Marianas Islands. Plasma from 14 green turtles severely afflicted with fibropapillomatosis, and eggs from 12 Hawaiian hawksbill nests from 7 females were analyzed. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) predominated in green turtle plasma; perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) predominated in hawksbill tissues. Concentrations were greater in hawksbill than green turtle plasma (p < 0.05), related to trophic differences. Green turtle plasma PFOS concentrations were related to human populations from highest to lowest: Hawai'i, Marianas, Palmyra. Influence on fibropapillomatosis was not evident. PFASs were maternally transferred to hawksbill eggs, with decreasing concentrations with distance from airports and with clutch order from one female. A risk assessment of PFOS showed concern for immunosuppression in Kailua green turtles and alarming concern for hawksbill developmental toxicity. Perfluoroundecanoic (PFUnA) and perfluorotridecanoic (PFTriA) acid levels were correlated with reduced emergence success (p < 0.05). Studies to further examine PFAS effects on sea turtle development would be beneficial.

The Saturation+ Approach to Behavior Change: Case Study of a Child Survival Radio Campaign in Burkina Faso.

A 35-month cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in Burkina Faso to test whether a radio campaign focused on child health, broadcast between March 2012 and January 2015, could reduce under-5 mortality. This paper describes the design and implementation of the mass media intervention in detail, including the Saturation+ principles that underpinned the approach, the creative process, the lessons learned, and recommendations for implementing this intervention at scale. The Saturation+ approach focuses on the 3 core principles of saturation (ensuring high exposure to campaign messages), science (basing campaign design on data and modeling), and stories (focusing the dramatic climax on the target behavior) to maximize the impact of behavior change campaigns. In Burkina Faso, creative partnerships with local radio stations helped us obtain free airtime in exchange for training and investing in alternative energy supplies to solve frequent energy problems faced by the stations. The campaign used both short spots and longer drama formats, but we consider the short spots as a higher priority to retain during scale-up, as they are more cost-effective than longer formats and have the potential to ensure higher exposure of the population to the messages. The implementation research synthesized in this paper is designed to enable the effective adoption and integration of evidence-based behavior change communication interventions into health care policy and practice.