Aasim M Ali, Ibrahim K Farh, Are Sæle Bruvold, Stig Valdersnes, Monica Sanden, Hilde Elise Heldal
PER: and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants of concern, yet long-term records in marine invertebrates remain scarce. We quantified 26 target PFAS and conducted suspect and non-target screening (NTS) of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in European lobster (Homarus gammarus) collected in a Western Norwegian coastal site (61°N, 5°E) between 2009-2025 (n = 115). Twelve PFAS were detected, with profiles dominated by long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates. Mean annual concentrations were highest for PFTrDA (0.72-2.55 μg kg-1 wet weight (ww); max 5.69 μg kg-1), followed by PFUnDA (0.25-0.89 μg kg-1ww; max 1.54 μg kg-1) and PFDoDA (0.28-0.61 μg kg-1 ww; max 0.88 μg kg-1). This pattern is consistent with predominantly diffuse environmental exposure rather than strong local point-source contamination. Temporal trends modelled using GLMs showed significant declines for all PFAS (-2.0 to -9.5% yr-1, p < 0.001), corresponding to cumulative reductions of approximately 30-75% across the study period, likely due to declining environmental inputs following regulatory phase-outs. Body weight exerted compound-specific effects: concentrations of long-chain PFCAs increased with size, whereas PFOS and PFOSA decreased with size. Estimated dietary exposure from lobster consumption remained below the EFSA tolerable weekly intake for the sum of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFOS. NTS further identified the ultrashort-chain PFAS trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), together with 11 other CECs, including pharmaceuticals, plastic-associated compounds, and pesticides. While most compounds exhibited declining or stable peak-area signals over time, TFA, trenbolone, and ADB-FUBINACA showed variable or increasing signals, indicating potential emerging inputs despite not being quantitatively determined. The detection of TFA demonstrates the presence of highly persistent emerging PFAS in coastal food webs.