Toxic PFAS found in freshwater fish

Abstract

Fish caught in rivers, streams, and lakes across the US contain high levels of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) , according to a new study ( Environ. Res. 2023, DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115165 ) by scientists at the Environmental Working Group. The advocacy group says the findings have particularly concerning implications for people whose survival depends on catching and eating freshwater fish. The researchers analyzed PFAS data the US Environmental Protection Agency collected from 2013 to 2015 on over 500 freshwater fish. They found an average of 9.5 parts per billion (ppb) PFAS in fish from US rivers and streams and 11.8 ppb in fish from the Great Lakes. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was the most commonly found of the PFAS, averaging 74% of the total. For comparison, the scientists looked at data from the US Food and Drug Administration on PFAS in commercially relevant fish in 2019–22. They report that the