Forever Chemicals in Freshwater Fish

A new study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found harmful levels of PFAS in freshwater fish throughout the United States. The study measured the harmful levels of 'forever chemicals' in freshwater fish collected across the United States. 

PFAS are known as 'forever chemicals'  because they never break down in the environment. They have entered freshwater bodies across the United States because industrial discharges of PFAS, from manufacturing facilities, municipal landfills & wastewater treatment plants, airports, and firefighting foams are routinely discharged into groundwater. 

Even very low doses of PFAS in drinking water can suppress the human immune system and can increase the risk of certain cancers. The new EWG study has found that eating one contaminated freshwater fish could equal a month of drinking PFAS contaminated water. 

You can view the results of the EWG study on a new Forever Chemicals in Freshwater Fish interactive map. The map allows you to discover the levels of PFAS contaminations found at over 500 freshwater sites across the United States. Click on one of the sampled sites on the map and you can view its exact location, the fish species sampled (and the date of the sample) and the levels of the various PFAS detected in the fish.