The world is facing a silent threat from "forever chemicals," a group of man-made substances that are wreaking havoc on our environment and, shockingly, even impacting the genes of unborn ducklings. This alarming discovery has sparked a much-needed conversation about the potential risks these chemicals pose to all life on our planet.
The European Union (EU) is taking a bold step by considering a complete ban on these chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), due to their persistent and toxic nature. But here's where it gets controversial: these chemicals are everywhere, from our frying pans to our waterproof jackets, and even in firefighting foam and food packaging.
"Forever chemicals" earned their name because they break down incredibly slowly in nature, and they're abundant. As a result, they've been found in drinking water and even on cross-country ski tracks, thanks to their previous use in ski wax.
"These substances are used in hundreds of products, ranging from frying pans and waterproof clothing to firefighting foam, food packaging, and stain-resistant coatings," explained Anne-Fleur Brand, a former PhD researcher.
And this is the part most people miss: while some PFAS have already been banned due to their toxicity, thousands of these "forever chemicals" are still in use, according to Brand. The potential harm they cause is largely unknown, but recent research has uncovered a disturbing effect on ducklings before they even hatch.
Researchers at NTNU's Department of Biology studied two new PFAS chemicals found in wild duck eggs. Professor Veerle Jaspers explained, "These chemicals are known to exist in the natural environment, but very little is documented about their effects."
The two chemicals in question are PFECHS and PFDoDS. PFECHS is used as an anti-corrosion agent in aircraft hydraulics, often found near airports. As for PFDoDS, its industry use is unknown, but it's been detected in both environmental samples and wild animals, making risk assessment challenging.
The researchers conducted their experiments in a controlled laboratory setting, as outdoor experiments on wild birds are extremely difficult due to various influences, including viruses, irregular food supply, and environmental changes.
They studied mallard duck eggs, collected from a duck farm, and injected them with one of the two new chemicals or with PFOS, a PFAS compound already prohibited due to its proven harm. This method mimics how eggs are infected in the wild, where chemicals are transferred from the mother to the egg.
After sealing the eggs with wax and incubating them for four weeks, the researchers collected samples from three vital organs of the hatched ducklings: the liver, where chemical metabolism and detoxification occur; the heart, which is vulnerable during development; and the bursa fabricii, a bird-specific organ crucial for immune system development.
The results were eye-opening. The ducklings exposed to the new PFAS substances showed changes in the genes regulating fat metabolism in the liver, which is critical for mallard ducks' survival and reproduction.
"Mallard ducks need to store and use fat according to a specific schedule that aligns with both the breeding season and migration. If their fat metabolism changes, it could reduce their chances of surviving or reproducing," Brand explained.
Surprisingly, the heart was largely unaffected, which contradicts previous findings on other PFAS compounds' effects on heart development in various animals, including humans. However, Brand emphasized that the tests were conducted early in the ducklings' development, and some harmful effects might only become apparent later.
In the bursa fabricii, the researchers discovered increased activity in a gene that typically helps detect viral infections. This gene is part of an alarm system that provides an early warning signal for viral infections, a reaction that had already been predicted by computer simulations and now confirmed in reality.
"We do not yet know if this helps or harms the birds," Brand said. It could indicate the body's increased readiness to fight infection, or it could show that the immune system is stressed unnecessarily.
To determine this, the researchers plan to monitor the birds as they grow and observe how they withstand real viruses, such as bird flu, which poses a significant threat to wild birds.
The key takeaway is that even new "forever chemicals" can produce effects similar to those seen with PFOS. This has led the EU to consider regulating all PFAS as a group rather than individual compounds, given their similar chemical structure and potential danger.
"Our findings support the demands to regulate all forms of PFAS. Prohibiting them one by one is both expensive and time-consuming," Jaspers explained.
However, more data is needed, especially from experiments that mimic natural conditions. This research is crucial, as the researchers emphasize the importance of caution due to these substances' long-term persistence in the environment.
"Forever chemicals do not just have long-term consequences. They are a problem right from the very beginning of life," the researchers wrote in their article.
Reference: Brand AF, Peterson S, Günzel LMS, et al. Gene expression changes in ducklings exposed in ovo to emerging and legacy per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances. Environ Toxicol Chem. 2025:vgaf213. doi: 10.1093/etojnl/vgaf213 (https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgaf213)
