Eating Fish In New York State Lakes Is As Bad As Drinking Toxic Water

With Lent underway, many New Yorkers are eating lots of sish on Fridays. But is it safe if the fish are from New York State lakes? A recent study has revealed just how toxic eating fish from lakes in New York State can be. Chemical toxins are leaching into our waters, which are poisoning the fish, which we then consume. Are you familiar with the old adage, 'you are what you eat'? In this case, it's nothing good.

The new research shows that eating just one freshwater fish caught in a river or lake in the United States is as bad for your health as drinking a month's worth of water contaminated with toxic chemicals. Sounds delightful, right? Not so much. All of the polluting that we've allowed big companies to do and the damage we have done ourselves is catching up with us.

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These chemicals - PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to serious health problems,

A recent review from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines a host of health effects associated with PFAS exposure, including cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.

While the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the "safe" level of PFOS in drinking water to 0.02 parts per trillion. The study found that eating one freshwater fish is equivalent to drinking a month's worth of water with PFOS at 48 parts per trillion.

The total PFAS level in the freshwater fish was 278 times higher than what has been found in commercially sold fish.

With Lent underway, you might want to be very careful where you source your fish from if you live in New York or America, for that matter.

While we're on the topic of "seafood," you might want to check out these recent stories - 2 Grocery Stores In New York Busted For Selling Illegal Seafood and Lobster Served In New York State Restaurants Might Not Be Lobster.