DOEE Provides Fish Consumption Advisory Update

CONTACT: Nicole Goines, PIO, (202) 536-7666 cell, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC, December 18th , 2024 - The Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) has recently completed a tissue study of fish caught in DC waters. Results of the study indicate that persons who eat fish caught in the District of Columbia's Potomac and Anacostia Rivers need to consider eating less of those fish. This notice does not pertain to fish purchased from restaurants, fish vendors, or supermarkets.

The study analyzed the tissue of various species of fish for a variety of chemicals, including for the first time, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. The study also analyzed the samples for the chemicals tested in earlier studies such as PCBs, PAHs, metals, and organochlorine pesticides. The study results showed that the majority of species tested contained PFAS. PFAS are at times referred to as "forever chemicals" as they do not break down and tend to accumulate in the environment. Long term exposure to PFAS can put individuals at risk for serious health problems such as cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity, and other health problems. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are also still a chemical of concern in fish tissue.

This notice is preliminary as US EPA final guidance on how to interpret PFAS fish tissue concentrations is not currently available. The equations used to calculate the number of meals based on fish tissue concentrations are under revision by US EPA. Once the guidance and revised equations are available, DOEE will complete the analysis of the findings of the fish tissue study and make new fish consumption recommendations, as appropriate.

Comparison of the study results with screening values for PFAS developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection showed that fewer servings of some species should be eaten.

This notice is provided for persons to consider if they choose to consume DC-caught fish.

With the recent fish tissue study findings, DOEE advises the general public to limit consumption of fish from all DC waters, as follows:

• Do not eat: Eel, carp, striped bass or largemouth bass
• May eat: Three servings per month of blue catfish, or one serving per month of brown bullhead catfish or channel catfish or gizzard shad or smallmouth bass, or snakehead or sunfish or white perch or yellow perch
• Choose to eat: Smaller fish of legal size
• Catch and release is encouraged for native species
  • Invasive blue catfish, flathead catfish, and northern snakehead should NOT be returned to the water. These species should still only be consumed in accordance with the preliminary advisory recommendations above.
  • Note DOEE did not sample tissue from flathead catfish so does not have data that indicates what amount of flathead catfish is safe to eat