CHICAGO — Eating just one freshwater fish a year can dramatically increase the amount of toxic forever chemicals coursing through a person’s blood, according to a new study that reflects more than a half-century of pollution contaminating the Great Lakes and rivers nationwide.
The alarming finding is based on an analysis of hundreds of fish caught by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 2013. Though the EPA has concluded some of the chemicals are harmful at any level, the agency hasn’t drawn attention to its fish sampling or warned Americans they could be in danger.
Terrence Antonio James, Tribune News Service
Fishermen try their luck Dec. 25, 2021, in Lake Michigan in Chicago.
Nearly every fish tested by the EPA was tainted with perfluorooctane sulfonate or PFOS, a forever chemical used for decades in Scotchgard stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam and food packaging manufactured by Minnesota-based 3M.
PFOS builds up in human blood, doesn’t break down in the environment and triggers health problems such as liver damage, impaired fertility, immune system disorders, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels and reduced vaccine effectiveness. Long-term exposure also might cause cancer.
“These findings point to the urgent need to eliminate more releases of these chemicals into the environment,” said David Andrews, a senior scientist at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group and one of the authors of the new study. “We don’t want this problem to get any worse, especially knowing how long it’s going to take for it to get better.”
A single serving of freshwater fish during a year is equivalent to drinking water laden with 48 parts per trillion of PFOS for a month, Andrews and his colleagues concluded in their peer-reviewed study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Research.
To put that number into context, the nationwide median of PFOS in drinking water is estimated to be less than 5 ppt. The highest concentration detected in Chicago drinking water so far is 2.8 ppt.
In June, the EPA announced there is effectively no safe exposure to PFOS and a related chemical, PFOA.
Exposure from eating fish is of particular concern for Native Americans, certain immigrant communities and low-income Americans who depend on lakes and rivers for a significant portion of their diet, Andrews noted, citing other studies.
Freshwater fish in the United States appear to be significantly more contaminated than seafood. The median concentration of forever chemicals in the EPA testing was 278 times higher than what the Food and Drug Administration found during the past four years in saltwater fish, shrimp, lobster, clams and oysters.
The highest level of PFOS detected in Great Lakes fish — 64,400 parts per trillion — came from white perch caught in Lake Erie near Monroe, Michigan, a Chicago Tribune review of EPA data found.
Yellow perch in Lake Michigan near Holland, Michigan, and Whiting were tainted with 22,900 ppt and 12,500 ppt, respectively. The level in walleye caught off the Door County peninsula in Wisconsin: 11,500 ppt.
EPA sampling in the Great Lakes from 2013 through 2015 did not include fish from Illinois waters. But in 2010 the agency found 19,000 ppt of PFOS in brown trout caught off North Avenue Beach in Chicago.
Disturbing levels also have been detected in the nation’s rivers and streams.
Northwest of Madison, the EPA found 74,200 ppt in smallmouth bass caught in the Wisconsin River. Upstream from Cave-in-Rock in deep southern Illinois, channel catfish pulled from the Ohio River had a whopping 135,000 ppt of PFOS.
Closer to Chicago, the agency found 25,500 ppt in channel catfish from the Fox River in Lake Barrington. The level in smallmouth bass from the Kankakee River near Bourbonais: 9,530 ppt.
Unlike other toxic substances such as mercury or PCBs, worrisome concentrations of forever chemicals aren’t limited to specific types of fish, EPA data shows. PFOS and related compounds — known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS — bind to fish tissue and can’t be cooked or trimmed out.
“Mercury, for example, tends to be higher in bigger, older fish,” said Gavin Dehnert, an emerging contaminants researcher at Wisconsin Sea Grant who, along with several Indigenous tribes in the Upper Midwest, recently launched another study of PFAS in the region’s lakes, rivers and fish.
Andrews speculated one reason why the EPA hasn’t publicized its test results is because fish are an important source of protein and other nutrients. Burdening Americans with PFAS isn’t worth the trade-offs, he said.
PFAS still aren’t regulated in the United States. The Biden administration is proposing to list PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances under federal law, which would make it easier to force polluters to clean up contaminated sites at their own expense.
Updated fish consumption advisories aren’t on the administration’s agenda, though some states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, caution people to limit or avoid eating certain fish based on PFOS contamination.
“You never want to hear that these chemicals whose names you can’t pronounce are in the water you’re drinking or the fish you’re eating,” said Christy Remucal, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin.
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Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Consumers in the United States put their trust in organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture to keep packaged foods, fish, and livestock production safe—but to what standards?
Many American food additives (think flame retardants and suspected carcinogens) and production standards that have been approved domestically are banned or strictly regulated abroad. This is all in addition to the U.S.'s liberal policies on genetically modified organisms, which are more restricted or banned outright in other countries as well.
What chemicals are lurking in the ingredients of some of America's favorite foods? What production practices are standardized in the United States but illegal in other parts of the world?
Click through Stacker's list to discover 29 everyday American food products with ingredients that are banned in other countries.
You may also like: What the average American eats in a year
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dean bertoncelj // Shutterstock
This citrus-flavored soft drink uses brominated vegetable oil (BVO) as an emulsifier. BVO is banned in Japan and the European Union because it contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants, which can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss as well as skin and nerve problems.
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Goumbik // Pixabay
In the United States, farmers use ractopamine to increase lean muscle growth in livestock, including in 40-60% of American pigs. Elsewhere, 160 nations—including the European Union, Russia, and China—ban the use of the drug in meat production.
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Joe Wolf // Flickr
The fast-food chain uses the chemical azodicarbonamide as a whitening agent and dough conditioner in its baked goods. Although its use is decreasing in the United States because of concerns that it is a carcinogen, the FDA still permits it. It is banned in Europe.
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Mike Mozart // Flickr
These popular breakfast cereals contain BHT, a flavor enhancer, which has long been studied for its potential carcinogenic properties; the evidence is inconclusive. It is banned in Japan and the European Union.
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BrokenSphere // Wikipedia Commons
Trans fats like the partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils in Coffee-mate are linked to heart disease and were officially banned in the U.S. as of June 18, 2018. However, they still linger in the U.S. food supply. There are also mandatory limits on trans fats in many other countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
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Roundhere44 // Wikipedia Commons
You can make stuffing in just five minutes with this popular Kraft product. But the mix contains preservatives BHA and BHT, which are suspected to be carcinogenic and to impair blood clotting. This has caused these preservatives to be banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and several European countries.
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Thomson200 // Wikipedia Commons
Drumstick uses carrageenan for texture in its ice cream, but the additive that is derived from seaweed can affect the human digestive system. The adverse effects have caused the European Union to limit it in products like baby food.
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rvlsoft // Shutterstock
When consumers are tasting the rainbow of this popular candy, they are also ingesting food dyes Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40. These dyes have been known to have adverse effects on young children. They are banned in foods for infants in the European Union, and foods that contain the dyes must carry a warning label. Norway and Austria ban them completely.
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Evan-Amos // Wikipedia Commons
To add freshness to a package of Wheat Thins, Nabisco adds BHT to the packaging. The chemical is banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and parts of Europe.
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Mike Mozart // Flickr
This sports drink claims to replenish electrolytes, but it also contains food dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These artificial colors are banned in foods for infants and children in the European Union, and they must also carry warnings on all other products there. They are completely banned in Norway and Austria.
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Mike Mozart // Flickr
The colorful breakfast pastry contains food dyes Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, which are still deemed safe to eat domestically but are partially banned in the European Union.
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Steven Depolo // Flickr
This breakfast food uses the flavor enhancer BHT, a suspected carcinogen that is banned in the European Union and Japan.
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Sarah Mahala Photography & Makeup Artistry // Wikipedia Commons
This colorful breakfast cereal gets its rainbow hue by using additives Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, which must contain warning labels in the European Union. They are also banned in Norway and Austria. They are permitted in the U.S. even though they are known to cause itching and hives for some.
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Buenosia Carol // Pexels
Potassium bromate is added to bread dough as a strengthener that creates a higher rise, reduces baking time and cost, and gives finished loaves a bright white color. But the chemical is also linked to cancer, nervous system damage, and kidney damage. Potassium bromate is banned in the United Kingdom, Canada, Peru, and many other countries, but is still ubiquitous in many American bread products including bagel chips, rolls, and even breadcrumbs.
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Mark Morgan // Flickr
The bright color of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Dip is derived by food additives Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These artificial colors are banned in Norway and Austria and must contain warnings on labels in the European Union.
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Mike Mozart // Flickr
Nabisco's Ritz is among the leading cracker brands in the United States. Its namesake cracker contains partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which is a trans fat that is currently banned domestically and is limited in many other countries like Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
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Dave Winer // Flickr
This grapefruit-flavored citrus drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company contains flame retardant bromine to prevent the separation of ingredients. BVO is banned in Europe.
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Janine // Wikipedia Commons
In the United States and parts of Asia, farmers are cultivating virus-resistant variants of the fruit. These genetically engineered offshoots are legal to eat in the U.S. and Canada, but illegal in the European Union.
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Carissa Rogers // Flickr
The Pillsbury Doughboy's biscuits make it simple to have freshly baked bread in minutes. However, these baked goods also contain trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which is known to cause heart disease.
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Mike Mozart // Flickr
The citrus drink contains artificial colors that are restricted in Europe. Products that contain Yellow 6 and Red 40 must include warning labels in the European Union. These dyes are also banned in Norway and Austria.
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LunaseeStudios // Shutterstock
Baking brownies couldn't be easier with this popular mix. However, a closer look at the ingredients reveals the product still contains trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil. Trans fats were recently banned in the U.S., but a few still remain. They are also heavily limited in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
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Internet Archive Book Images // Flickr
Pillsbury brings the convenience of a ready-made pie crust to kitchens across the country. However, this product is banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and parts of Europe because it contains both BHA and BHT. The substances are suspected to be carcinogenic and have been linked to impaired blood clotting.
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ray_explores // Flickr
This popular jiggling dessert is low in calories and free from artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. But its color is far from natural. It contains Red 40, which is restricted in Europe and illegal in Norway and Austria.
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Michelle Lee Photography // Shutterstock
This sweetener—made from pure fructose and sugar—is linked to a variety of ailments like obesity and Type 2 diabetes. It's found in everything from beverages to cereals and ice cream. While it isn't banned specifically in any country, the U.K. and some European countries have restricted the products and placed them under quota limitations.
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domdomegg // Wikipedia Commons
Olestra is a fat substitute the FDA approved in 1996 to make snacks and chips guilt-free. However, side effects of the additive include abdominal cramping and loose stools. The fat substitute also inhibits the absorption of vitamins and nutrients. It's banned in Canada and many European countries.
