Metals and PFAS concentrations in aquatic environments and fish of the Brooks Range, Alaska.
4 affiliations
- 1Wildlife Conservation Society, Fairbanks, AK, USA. [email protected].
- 2US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northern Interior Wildlife Refuge Complex, Galena, AK, USA.
- 3US Bureau of Land Management, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
- 4Wildlife Conservation Society, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Abstract
In Alaska, fish are an important subsistence resource for Indigenous and rural residents. Additionally, they can serve as bioindicators that respond to ecosystem changes. Resource development, such as mining, and climate change-impacted natural phenomena like permafrost thaw can introduce contaminants into aquatic systems. Consequently, quantification of contaminant concentrations in aquatic media is needed to track ecosystem and fish health in order to characterize current conditions and identify potential threats. To address gaps in fish contaminant data in northern Alaska, we assessed metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations in waterbodies along the Dalton Highway associated with a 2026 land use change, and in three rivers of the western Brooks Range potentially affected by the proposed Ambler Road. Metal concentrations in aquatic media were not substantially elevated at most sites. In fish muscle tissue, mercury levels were largely below thresholds for consumption advice except for a subset of large-bodied individuals. PFAS were either not detected, or at trace concentrations (< 3 µg/kg) in most fish. However, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was elevated in fish at one lake along the Dalton Highway near industrial infrastructure, with maximum observed concentrations reaching thresholds that would trigger further investigation or consumption advisories in at least 45 other US states and countries. Given the possible health implications for people and fish from PFAS exposure, we recommend further investigation of this site and similar industrial infrastructure outposts throughout Alaska, as well as call for PFAS fish consumption guidance to be formalized at the Alaska and US federal level.
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BibTeX
@article{fraley2026metals,
title = {{Metals and PFAS concentrations in aquatic environments and fish of the Brooks Range, Alaska.}},
author = {Kevin M Fraley and Wyatt Snodgrass and Benjamin T Kelly and Martin D Robards},
journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s10661-026-16052-z},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909678},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Metals and PFAS concentrations in aquatic environments and fish of the Brooks Range, Alaska.
AU - Kevin M Fraley
AU - Wyatt Snodgrass
AU - Benjamin T Kelly
AU - Martin D Robards
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Environmental monitoring and assessment
DO - 10.1007/s10661-026-16052-z
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909678
AB - In Alaska, fish are an important subsistence resource for Indigenous and rural residents. Additionally, they can serve as bioindicators that respond to ecosystem changes. Resource development, such as mining, and climate change-impacted natural phenomena like permafrost thaw can introduce contaminants into aquatic systems. Consequently, quantification of contaminant concentrations in aquatic media is needed to track ecosystem and fish health in order to characterize current conditions and identify potential threats. To address gaps in fish contaminant data in northern Alaska, we assessed metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations in waterbodies along the Dalton Highway associated with a 2026 land use change, and in three rivers of the western Brooks Range potentially affected by the proposed Ambler Road. Metal concentrations in aquatic media were not substantially elevated at most sites. In fish muscle tissue, mercury levels were largely below thresholds for consumption advice except for a subset of large-bodied individuals. PFAS were either not detected, or at trace concentrations (< 3 µg/kg) in most fish. However, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was elevated in fish at one lake along the Dalton Highway near industrial infrastructure, with maximum observed concentrations reaching thresholds that would trigger further investigation or consumption advisories in at least 45 other US states and countries. Given the possible health implications for people and fish from PFAS exposure, we recommend further investigation of this site and similar industrial infrastructure outposts throughout Alaska, as well as call for PFAS fish consumption guidance to be formalized at the Alaska and US federal level.
SN - 0167-6369
SN - 1573-2959
ER -