Chemicals have been found in high concentrations in freshwater fish. American researchers sound the alarm.
Fish and seafood have many nutritional properties. To reap all the benefits, it is recommended to eat fish twice a week, including fatty fish like salmon. However, ANSES points out that they are probably contaminated by chemical substances, but also by microorganisms.
In the USA, researchers warn the population. In fact, “eating too much fish increases your risk of exposure to cancer-causing toxic chemicals” known as PFAS (or perfluoroalkyl compounds), which have been linked to cancer, elevated cholesterol, reproductive problems and more. Thanks to a study shared by The Sun, researchers found these chemicals were found in fish caught in lakes and rivers.
Scientists from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that mean levels of PFAS in freshwater fish in the United States were 280 times higher than chemicals ever detected in some captive fish. In comparison, eating a single freshwater fish resulted in similar exposure to PFAS as eating store-bought fish every day for a year. These results were published in the journal Environmental Research.
Limit the consumption of certain fish
Researchers analyzed data from more than 500 fish fillet samples collected in the United States between 2013 and 2015. “People who consume freshwater fish, especially those who regularly catch and eat fish, are at risk of having alarming levels of PFAS in their bodies.” David Andrews, lead author of the study. In other words, eating a freshwater fish is like drinking contaminated water for a month.
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In France, to limit the risk, ANSES recommends consuming two portions of fish per week, varying the type and place of delivery. The Health Department advises “limiting consumption of highly bioaccumulative freshwater fish to twice a month (eel, barbel, bream, carp, catfish)” and “avoiding consumption of shellfish unless they come from an approved and controlled breeding area” .
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