Experts at Dartmouth College in the UK said safe seafood guidelines exist for mercury and other pollutants, but not for PFAS. This study emphasizes the need for more stringent public health guidelines to establish how much seafood people can safely consume.
"Our recommendation is not to eat seafood
, But it is also a potentially underestimated source of PFAS exposure in humans," said corresponding author Megan Romano, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in the UK.
"It is important for people making decisions about diet to understand this risk-benefit tradeoff for seafood consumption, especially for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children," Romano said.
In the study, the team measured the levels of 26 varieties of PFAS in samples of the most commonly consumed marine species: cod, haddock, lobster, salmon, scallop, shrimp and tuna.
The findings, published in the journal Exposure and Health, showed that shrimp and lobster contained the highest concentrations for some PFA compounds, with an average of 1.74 and 3.30 nanograms per gram of meat, respectively.
PFAS, which break down very slowly over time and can persist in the environment for thousands of years, are potentially harmful to people, wildlife, and the environment.
Studies have shown that exposure to them increases the risk of cancer, fetal abnormalities, high cholesterol, and thyroid, liver and reproductive disorders.
"Our recommendation is not to eat seafood
, But it is also a potentially underestimated source of PFAS exposure in humans," said corresponding author Megan Romano, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in the UK.
"It is important for people making decisions about diet to understand this risk-benefit tradeoff for seafood consumption, especially for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children," Romano said.
In the study, the team measured the levels of 26 varieties of PFAS in samples of the most commonly consumed marine species: cod, haddock, lobster, salmon, scallop, shrimp and tuna.
The findings, published in the journal Exposure and Health, showed that shrimp and lobster contained the highest concentrations for some PFA compounds, with an average of 1.74 and 3.30 nanograms per gram of meat, respectively.
PFAS, which break down very slowly over time and can persist in the environment for thousands of years, are potentially harmful to people, wildlife, and the environment.
Studies have shown that exposure to them increases the risk of cancer, fetal abnormalities, high cholesterol, and thyroid, liver and reproductive disorders.
