How much fish from Tampa Bay should you eat? A study that includes a look at what are called "forever chemicals" in the bay might provide answers.
The toxins go by the acronym PFAS, and are found in industrial chemicals used to fight fires and coat nonstick cookware.
They may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
Steve Murawski is with the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. He gave an update on the study to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
“It's more of a surveillance project. What is the level of contamination?,” he said. “And when we do the seafood safety risk assessments, that'll tell us whether we should be eating eight meals a week or three meals a week or 50 meals a week.”
PFAS have been used in consumer products since around the 1950s.
And they're being found in fish caught in Tampa Bay and around outfalls from wastewater treatment plants.
“The recreational species are spot and sea trout, sheepshead, red drum or redfish and snook,” he told planning council members. “And so what we wanted to do is focus the larger study on those species because those are the species people are going to interact with most in terms of the consumption of the fishes.”
The study looks at how chemicals — including PFAS — are concentrated in sediments in the estuary and how that harms humans and wildlife. It's expected to end in 2028.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since about the 1950s.
Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products.
According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS are found in:
- Cleaning products.
- Water-resistant fabrics, such as rain jackets, umbrellas and tents.
- Grease-resistant paper.
- Nonstick cookware.
- Personal care products, like shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup.
- Stain-resistant coatings used on carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics.
The study's outline says they will look at:
"Potentially problematic levels of contaminants of both emerging and known concern have been detected in Tampa Bay waters, sediments, and, in some cases, fishes.
"Conducting a comprehensive and integrated study of the dynamics, fates, impacts, and risks associated with co-occurring contaminants in Tampa Bay will make considerable new knowledge available to environmental managers and serve as a model for similar studies to be conducted elsewhere."
