A new study has revealed that individuals who have high seafood diets could be upping their risk of exposure to toxic "forever chemicals."
PFAS Forever Chemicals
These PFAS chemicals, also known as forever chemicals, have been used for various manufacturing purposes. They have been applied to everything from non-stick cookware to stain-resistant furniture.
These chemicals leaked into the air, soil, and water as time passed. Since they are very slow in breaking down, most individuals get repeatedly exposed to PFAS across their lifetime.
PFAS chemicals are linked to fetal abnormalities, cancer, high cholesterol, and liver enzyme changes, among other health issues. Scientists are still looking into the chronic health impacts of exposure to these forever chemicals.
Seafood Diets and Forever Chemicals
Megan Romano, an associate epidemiology professor from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, explains that they do not recommend avoiding seafood consumption altogether, as seafood is still a great source of omega fatty acids and lean protein. However, seafood appears to be a source of PFAS exposure for humans.
The study, "Patterns of Seafood Consumption Among New Hampshire Residents Suggest Potential Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances," used a vast survey of eating habits from New Hampshire. It was paired with a PFAS concentration analysis of fresh seafood.
Along with the rest of New England, New Hampshire is considered the country's top seafood consumer, making the area an ideal locale for the study.
Romano explains that most research mainly focuses on PFAS levels among freshwater creatures, which are not the species that people usually eat. Because of this, they were able to observe a literature gap, especially in the state of New England, where people are known to be voracious seafood consumers.
As part of the study, the scientists examined the levels of 26 different types of PFAS in the most popular seafood. These include lobster, haddock, cod, scallops, tuna, shrimp, and salmon. The findings revealed that lobster and shrimp topped the list, with 3.30 and 1.74 nanograms per gram of flesh, respectively. The other seafood and fish examined generally contained less than one nanogram per gram.
The researchers remain uncertain about how marine life gets exposed to these forever chemicals. However, they suspect that certain animals, such as shrimp and lobster, both seafloor feeders, are smaller species and dwell closer to the coast. They could be more susceptible than larger fish, such as tuna swimming in the open ocean.
However, larger fish are still not immune. This is likely because they consume tinier fish, which could still contain the chemicals in notable concentrations.
Among the study participants, more than 95% reported eating seafood within the past year. Over two-thirds of them reportedly ate shellfish or fish in the previous week. Over 70% of the adults who reportedly ate seafood in the past month were also found to eat salmon, haddock, and shrimp. Shrimp consumption was quite common among children.
The researchers note that there are guidelines for safely consuming seafood regarding specific contaminants, such as mercury, but there is nothing similar for PGAS.
Kathryn Crawford, an assistant environmental studies professor at Middlebury College, explains that the researchers hope the study will foster the establishment of safety guidelines for individuals who may be susceptible to the pollutants. However, the scientists stressed that the findings do not mean that people should stop seafood consumption altogether.
Crawford explains that people who adhere to a balanced diet with moderate and typical seafood amounts should still be able to enjoy seafood's health benefits without excessive PFAS exposure risk.
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