New Study Finds Higher PFAS Levels in Seafood May Pose Potential Health Risks
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” make up a class of nearly 5,000 man-made compounds widely used in many commercial and consumer products. After their development in the 1940s, PFAS entered the broader environment through air emissions, direct discharges by manufacturers into surface water, wastewater discharges into surface water, landfill disposal, firefighting foams and biosolids used as fertilizers on farms. PFAS are persistent substances because they do not break down naturally in the environment. Once ingested by organisms, including humans, wildlife, and plants, PFAS “bioaccumulate,” building up in the body over time. The EPA has cited research finding that many PFAS compounds are toxic because exposure to certain levels of these compounds may lead to many adverse health impacts in humans.
Several studies have found that human consumption of organisms contaminated with PFAS are a significant vector for human contamination. At least four studies have found that PFAS are widespread in seafood. Higher concentrations of PFAS have been found in seafood harvested near areas where PFAS were used in commercial or industrial applications or discharged.
Researchers recently shared the results of a study on the levels of 26 PFAS compounds in seafood, including cod, haddock, lobster, salmon, scallop, shrimp, and tuna. Shrimp and lobster showed the highest PFAS concentrations, with certain PFAS compounds averaging 1.74 and 3.30 nanograms per gram of flesh, respectively. The researchers found that people who eat larger amounts of seafood may be exposed to PFAS concentrations that could potentially pose a health risk. But, they did not recommend avoiding seafood, which offers key health benefits due to its omega-3 fatty acids. Instead, the researchers concluded that their findings reveal the need for future development of environmental and health-focused policies to safeguard consumers from PFAS in seafood.
To date, the EPA and FDA’s federal seafood consumption guidance is designed primarily to prevent mercury exposure, which, like PFAS, is a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemical. However, this guidance does not currently take into account the risk of PFAS exposure from eating seafood. Some states have created PFAS-specific guidelines for self-harvested seafood. But commercially available seafood, which is eaten more widely, has received less scrutiny. Given these recent studies and the PBT properties of several PFAS compounds, the EPA and FDA may amend their pre-existing seafood consumption guidance in the future to prevent excess PFAS exposure in humans.
The EPA is currently deciding whether to classify several PFAS compounds as PBT chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). If the EPA decides that PFAS compounds are PBTs, or that they present an unreasonable risk to human health of the environment, it may issue regulations prohibiting or restricting the manufacture, processing, or commercial distribution of PFAS compounds under Section 6 of the TSCA. While regulation of PFAS manufacture, processing, and distribution under the TSCA is still pending, the EPA has already set the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS, the most pervasive PFAS compounds, at 4 parts per trillion (ppt) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA has also designated these compounds as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Please contact Blake Donewar or any member of the Phelps Environmental team if you have questions or need advice or guidance.
