EPA Recommends Monitoring of Local Freshwater Fish for ‘Forever Chemicals’

Men fish at St. Johns River in Green Cove Springs, in St. Johns County, on Oct. 16, 2018. (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recommending for the first time that states, tribes, and territories nationwide monitor for the toxic so-called “forever chemicals” in locally caught freshwater fish.

The agency’s recommendation adds several per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) to the contaminant list outlined in the Clean Water Act, alongside lead, three cyanotoxins, a flame retardant, and amphetamine, according to a July 11 press release.

PFAS are man-made chemicals dubbed “forever chemicals” because they break down slowly over time in the environment and the bodies of humans and animals. The chemicals have been linked to serious health issues including cancers, liver damage, low birth weight, birth defects, and more.

Adding those toxic substances to the contaminant list will help protect communities from exposure to these chemicals, the EPA said.

Under its new recommendations, the EPA asks states, tribes, and territories to “monitor and analyze” contaminants in fish and shellfish caught in local, freshwater bodies and issue public consumption advisories if they find contaminants at concentrations that can impact people’s health.

The EPA also recommends people who eat local freshwater fish and shellfish consult their state, tribe, or territory to determine how much is safe to eat.

The agency said the update follows a review of scientific literature and an internal analysis of data as well as a peer review of the agency’s own analysis.

“It’s important for EPA to continue advancing the science on PFAS as part of our comprehensive effort to protect the public from these harmful substances,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “By considering the latest science in their local advisories and testing for PFAS in fish at a local level, states and Tribes can protect subsistence, recreational, and sport fishers.”

According to the EPA, many states already monitor for certain PFAS in fish and use local data to issue fish consumption advisories when necessary, including Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The agency’s latest National Aquatic Resource Survey—which monitors fish tissue from lakes and streams nationwide—as well as numerous other studies, have found PFAS in freshwater fish and shellfish at levels that may be harmful to human health, the agency said.

While such studies indicate the presence of PFAS in fish, they do not provide enough information to inform public health decisions at a local level, according to the EPA.

This, the EPA said, “is why the role of states, tribes, and territories in gathering local data is essential.”