RESUMEN
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous, synthetic anthropogenic chemicals known to infiltrate and persist in biological systems as a result of their stability and bioaccumulation potential. This study investigated 15 PFAS, including short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and their presence in a threatened herbivore, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Seven of the 15 PFAS examined were detected in manatee plasma. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (ranging from 0.13 to 166â¯ng/g ww) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (ranging from 0.038 to 3.52â¯ng/g ww) were detected in every manatee plasma sample examined (nâ¯=â¯69), with differing medians across sampling sites in Florida, Crystal River (nâ¯=â¯39), Brevard County (nâ¯=â¯18), Everglades National Park (nâ¯=â¯8), and four samples (nâ¯=â¯4) from Puerto Rico. With an herbivorous diet and long life-span, the manatee provides a new perspective to monitoring PFAS contamination.