PFAS In Fish

You may remember that Pure Waters volunteers helped measure and dissect fish at the Lake Trout Derby over Memorial Day for the last three years. Well – our efforts were supporting research on the health of our fishery. One aspect of that research was looking at PFAS levels in the fish. You can find the full paper linked below – but here is a summary of the findings.

We are continuing our work with PFAS and fish and are looking into other levels of the food web. We are partnering again with FLI and SUNY-ESF and plan to sample perch, pumpkinseed sunfish, alewives and sculpin. Steve Japp of Roy’s Boys Fishing Charters has generously volunteered to catch the fish for us! As we get results from this next phase of research we will share results.

 

🔬 What the Study Looked At

Researchers investigated Lake Trout and other fish from Seneca Lake, NY to measure levels of PFAS — a group of man-made chemicals used in products like firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, and waterproof clothing. PFAS are persistent in both the environment and living organisms.

🎯 Key Findings

  • Lake Trout had the highest levels of PFAS compared to Rainbow Trout, Salmon, and other species in the same lake.
  • Some types of PFAS were found only in Lake Trout, suggesting a unique exposure pathway.
  • The PFAS profile in Seneca Lake fish was distinct from other nearby lakes — with lower PFOS but higher PFNA and PFDoA levels.
  • Patterns match legacy firefighting foams (AFFF) used at the former Seneca Army Depot — a likely contamination source.

🧪 Other Notes

  • Differences in PFAS levels were not fully explained by fish size, age, or diet.
  • No clear link was found between PFAS and mercury levels, though both are pollutants.
  • Fish contained beneficial fatty acids, and most PFAS levels were below advisory limits — though some samples neared stricter state thresholds.

🌍 Why This Matters

  • This study highlights how legacy pollution continues to affect ecosystems.
  • Lake Trout are effective bioindicators for tracking PFAS contamination in lakes.

Unique per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) source suggested by a Lake Trout PFAS profile in a temperate lake” by Levanduski et al. (2025)

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