Toxic Catch: Bay Area Communities at Risk from PFAS in Local Fish

By Danielle Venton | KQED | May 20, 2025

Read the full article by Danielle Venton (KQED)

"People have always fished in the San Francisco Bay. But they may also unknowingly consume unhealthy levels of persistent, dangerous chemicals with their catch.

A study published on Tuesday from researchers at the San Francisco Estuary Institute found that 10 species of commonly consumed fish from the Bay frequently contain high levels of “forever chemicals,” which can take hundreds to thousands of years to break down and accumulate in the people and animals that eat them. The South Bay, the study found, is especially polluted.

Study author Rebecca Sutton said she and colleagues have been worried about perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in local fish for decades. The study examined the prevalence of PFAS in shiner surfperch, striped bass, white croaker and seven other sport fish from the Bay over the last ten years."

Location:

• North AmericaUS
• North AmericaUSCalifornia

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• Environment
• Wildlife
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses