Eating freshwater fish may expose people to toxic chemicals: study

Something’s fishy.

Eating just one portion of freshwater fish — such as trout or carp — could expose people to potentially toxic chemical compounds, according to a new study.

The findings, which were published by Environmental Research, revealed that eating even a single serving of freshwater fish per year could be equal to one month of drinking water laced with high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, that can be harmful to one’s health.

Very low doses of PFAS in drinking water have been linked to suppression of the immune system, including reduced vaccine efficacy, and an increased risk of certain cancers. They are also linked with increased cholesterol and reproductive problems, among others.

“People who consume freshwater fish, especially those who catch and eat fish regularly, are at risk of alarming levels of PFAS in their bodies,” said Dr. David Andrews, who led the study, according to South West News Services.

These PFAS are made up of a group of more than 9,000 different chemicals — some of which are already banned or highly restricted — that can be found in non-stick cookware and food packaging. The chemicals don’t break down in the environment, therefore they build up in our bodies.

“PFAS do not disappear when products are thrown or flushed away,” said Dr. Tasha Stoiber, the study’s co-author. “Our research shows that the most common disposal methods may end up leading to further environmental pollution.”

To perform the study, scientists analyzed data from over 500 samples of fish filets collected in the United States over a two-year period, from 2013 to 2015. They also found that PFA levels were higher in fish in the Great Lakes as well as those fish caught in urban areas.

Researchers discovered high levels of so-called “forever chemicals” in fish caught in lakes and rivers. The forever chemical found at greatest concentrations in freshwater fish was PFOS, or sulfonic acid, averaging roughly three in four of total PFAS detections.

The research found that median amounts of PFAS in freshwater fish in the US were an astonishing 280 times greater than forever chemicals detected in some commercially caught and sold fish.

They estimate that there may be more than 40,000 industrial polluters of PFAS in the United States, including manufacturing facilities, municipal landfills, wastewater treatment plants and airports. The contamination of water has spread PFAS to soil, crops and wildlife, including fish.

“The extent that PFAS has contaminated fish is staggering,” said Nadia Barbo, the project’s lead researcher. “There should be a single health protective fish consumption advisory for freshwater fish across the country.”