Fish in Pennsylvania creek basin unsafe to eat, officials warn

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 17:49 · Archive

Pennsylvania officials have issued a 'do not eat' advisory for all fish in the Wissahickon Creek basin after detecting unsafe levels of PFOS.

Pennsylvania health and environmental officials have issued a 'do not eat' advisory for all fish species in the Wissahickon Creek basin in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. The advisory follows the discovery of unsafe levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, known as PFOS, in fish tissue samples. Tests revealed PFOS concentrations exceeding 0.04 parts per million, the threshold considered safe for consumption by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

PFOS is one of thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, synthetic compounds that have earned the name 'forever chemicals' because they accumulate in animal blood and break down very slowly over time. These chemicals are linked to a host of health problems and have been detected in most streams across Pennsylvania.

In response to the advisory, a trout stocking scheduled for 15 October has been cancelled. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, along with the state health and environmental protection departments, will hold a public meeting on Thursday, 6 November, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to discuss the situation and explore future possibilities for trout management in the area.

How it is being reported

• ‘Do not eat’ advisory issued for all fish in southeastern Pa. creek basinPennsylvania agencies warn against eating any fish from the Wissahickon Creek Basin due to forever chemicals exceeding safety thresholds.PennLive · 9 Oct, 16:59
• Fish in the Wissahickon Creek basin have unsafe levels of forever chemicals, officials warnPennsylvania health and environmental officials issued a 'do not eat' advisory for all fish species in the Wissahickon Creek basin in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties after detecting unsafe PFOS levels.PhillyVoice · 7 Oct, 21:11

In this story: Wissahickon Creek · Philadelphia · Montgomery County · Pennsylvania · Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission · Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education

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