From our friends at NC Health News:
Study: Forever chemicals abundant in fish from contaminated rivers, lakes – Research examining meat from hundreds of fish from around the U.S. shows PFAS present in samples, especially fish caught near industrial, urban sites.
New research estimates that anglers who eat fish from waters contaminated by PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” may be ingesting large doses of the chemicals. It suggests that local authorities notify fishers of contamination in the state’s waterways to help them make better decisions about where to cast their lines.
Researcher David Andrews from the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, worked with a researcher from Duke University to look at hundreds of samples of freshwater fish caught from around the United States, including North Carolina. They found fish with detectable levels of PFAS in all states of the continental U.S.
This has implications for people who fish to eat, whether for subsistence or because they enjoy a plate of fresh-caught bass or catfish.
“We calculate out that even for the median concentration of PFAS-contaminated fish, that eating a single serving is equivalent to [drinking] a month of contaminated drinking water,” Andrews said. Eating those fish could dramatically increase the amount of PFAS people have circulating in their bloodstreams.
To read the entire article and use the interactive map, click HERE
