Mar 28: A new paper investigates how raptors, or birds of prey such as hawks and eagles, act as sentinel species capable of revealing the level of “forever chemicals” in the local environment. These chemicals, known as PFAS, are found at particularly high concentrations in fish-eating species.
The review, titled “Raptors as Sentinels: Unveiling the Environmental and Health Risks of Pfas Contamination,” by Liguori et al., provides a comprehensive analysis of current scientific data on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), persistent environmental contaminants of global concern. Due to their resistance to degradation, PFAS accumulate over time in living organisms. A growing body of evidence suggests that these chemicals pose toxicological risks and have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and other health conditions.
The study is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration involving multiple international institutions, including the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), the Università Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, and the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, in partnership with several distinguished academic departments and research centers across Italy, including the research group from the Foggia Local Health Authority (ASL Foggia) led by Dr. Renato Lombardi. This collaborative framework integrates expertise in oncology, veterinary medicine, environmental toxicology, and ecological sciences, reflecting a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the study of emerging environmental contaminants.
As apex predators at the top of food chains, raptors represent highly effective sentinel species for monitoring PFAS contamination through systematic sampling and analysis.
“This review represents a critical step forward in understanding the global implications of PFAS contamination through a One Health lens,” says Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at Temple University and President of SHRO. “By identifying raptors as a sentinel species, we strengthen the scientific foundation for assessing both environmental dangers and risks to human health.”
One Health is a campaign supported by the Italian National Institute of Health that promotes a holistic approach to human health, recognizing the interconnected roles of environmental and animal health.
“The convergence of evidence from wildlife and human epidemiology underscores the urgency of coordinated, evidence-based regulatory strategies,” Giordano continues. “Our findings highlight the necessity of long-term, standardized biomonitoring systems capable of informing both environmental protection and public health policies at an international level.”
“Recent studies on peregrine falcons conducted in collaboration with the falconer Angelo Pagano further reinforce the value of raptors as sensitive bioindicators of environmental contamination,” adds Giovanna Liguori,DVM, Ph,D., Executive Director of Sbarro One Health and first author of the paper. “These findings highlight how close cooperation between scientific research and field expertise can enhance our understanding of pollutant exposure pathways, strengthening the One Health approach and its implications for both ecosystem and human health.”
Drawing on global data, the authors demonstrate the widespread presence of PFAS across multiple raptor tissues, including liver, blood, eggs, and feathers. Fish-eating species consistently exhibit higher contaminant burdens compared to terrestrial counterparts, reflecting biomagnification within aquatic ecosystems. Among these compounds, legacy long-chain PFAS, particularly PFOS, are shown to significantly biomagnify and frequently exceed proposed toxicological thresholds.
Temporal analyses reveal a complex picture of regulatory effectiveness: while PFOS levels have declined in some regions following international restrictions, they remain elevated in many populations. At the same time, emerging replacement PFAS compounds remain insufficiently characterized, raising concerns about shifting contamination profiles rather than actual risk reduction. Tissue-specific patterns identified in the review indicate that eggs and liver are robust matrices for assessing maternal transfer and long-term accumulation, whereas blood and feathers offer minimally invasive alternatives for biomonitoring. Notably, sublethal effects observed in raptors parallel findings in human epidemiological studies, reinforcing the relevance of a One Health framework integrating environmental, animal, and human health.
The authors emphasize the urgent need for standardized, multi-matrix, and long-term biomonitoring programs integrating raptors with complementary sentinel species to enhance detection of contamination hotspots and improve ecological and public health risk assessment. Key priorities include methodological harmonization, expansion of monitoring efforts into underrepresented regions, and deeper investigation into species-specific toxicokinetics and mixture effects.
The review ultimately confirms raptors as highly effective sentinels of PFAS contamination and underscores their value as early-warning indicators for human health risks, highlighting the importance of coordinated global monitoring networks to inform evidence-based mitigation strategies and regulatory policies.
