SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — A recent study found PFAS chemicals have been found in saltwater fish in the Cape Fear River, two years after a health advisory was released by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding freshwater fish.
READ MORE: NCDEQ requires Chemours to expand PFAS well-testing to thousands in Cape Fear
ALSO: EPA intends to rescind PFAS regulations as Chemours seeks to increase production
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, with fieldwork assistance from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, conducted the study and presented its findings to the NCDEQ Secretary’s Science Advisory Board earlier this October.
The state’s saltwater fish study revealed PFOS — determined a dangerous substance by the Environmental Protection Agency last year — was detected in every single one of the seven saltwater species sampled. The study is a continuation of the NCDEQ’s earlier research looking at PFAS contamination in freshwater fish upstream. The previous freshwater study was completed in early 2023 and led to fish consumption advisories which are recommendations to limit or avoid eating contaminated fish.
Before a health advisory is issued on the saltwater fish findings, NCDHHS must conduct a human health risk assessment using the NCDEQ’s collected data. The assessment takes three to eight months and includes examining data to see how much contamination fish have. DHHS then compares those numbers to safety limits set by the EPA to figure out how often people can safely eat that type of fish. The health advisory determines the maximum amount that can be consumed without risk over a lifetime rather than an outright ban.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” are a class of chemical compounds resistant to breakdown and have been widely detected in the environment, including the Cape Fear River. Contamination in the region is largely attributable to discharges from the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility and other upstream sources. The EPA recognizes PFAS compounds as likely human carcinogens linked to serious health issues, such as liver damage and developmental issues in children.
Aside from the chemical posing risks to humans, the contamination in the Cape Fear River also threatens aquatic life. According to ongoing research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, PFAS can disrupt fish endocrine systems, leading to health effects such as impaired fertility and egg development, developmental delays in larvae, and organ damage, especially to the liver.
The recent study involved collecting and testing samples of saltwater fish’s edible tissues from three sites in the lower Cape Fear River estuary near Wilmington, to determine the level of various PFAS compounds, including those unique to the Chemours Fayetteville facility. Two specific Chemours PFAS compounds were found in two fish and the rest were legacy compounds, including the EPA’s dangerous substances PFOS and PFOA.
The primary sample collection concluded in 2022, after North Carolina’s Division of Marine Fisheries tested seven popular fish species — Southern flounder, speckled trout, red drum, black drum, Atlantic croaker, sheepshead, and striped bass. Data collected shows red drum had the highest mean concentration of PFOS, at over 12 nanograms per gram, equivalent to 12 parts per billion.
This concentration exceeds the approximate 7 ng/g to 10 ng/g levels found in freshwater species, like largemouth bass and striped bass from the same river system. Both subsequently received a “Do Not Eat” consumption advisory from DHHS in 2023 for more vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, the elderly and children.
Saltwater Southern flounder and striped bass also showed elevated PFOS levels at approximately 4.5 ng/g and 7 ng/g respectively.
Speaking with Port City Daily, Cape Fear River Watch Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette noted striped bass in particular are vulnerable to reproductive issues, which PFAS contamination could further exacerbate.
Already the striped bass are declining in population, as the anadromous fish (like salmon) migrate upstream from the ocean into freshwater rivers to spawn; however, historical access to spawning grounds in rivers like the Cape Fear is blocked by three lock and dam structures located between Wilmington and Fayetteville. That means striped bass are unable to reach traditional spawning grounds.
Habitat loss drove the population to such a low point that a total harvest moratorium was put in place in 2008. Since then, recovery efforts have relied on hatchery-reared fish to supplement the depleted population, though a self-sustaining wild stock has not been established.
“If a fish is already experiencing pressure because there are dams that make that migration difficult, then any additional stress on that fish is going to further weaken its spawning opportunities and success,” Burdette stated.
Many of the PFAS compounds found in the saltwater fish are listed in a consent order, signed in 2019, between Chemours, NCDEQ, and Cape Fear River Watch, including PFMOAA and PFO5DA detected in the tissue of several species. Both are considered “replacement” PFAS chemicals for legacy compounds like PFOA, which have been used by manufacturers for decades. However, Chemours stopped manufacturing it in 2015.
PFMOAA was detected in over half of the saltwater red drum tested, specifically 7 out of 13 fish sampled, and was also found in 1 out of 10 sheepshead tested. While less frequent, PFO5DA was found in 1 out of 10 sheepshead.
By comparison to freshwater species, PFO5DA was also detected in four of 34 red-ear sunfish. The study indicated a trend of what’s called “bioaccumulation” — or the gradual build-up of chemicals in an organism — showing larger fish tend to exhibit higher concentrations of PFAS in their tissues. This suggests the chemicals do not break down, but rather collect inside the fish’s body over its lifespan. Specifically, as fish grow older and larger, they consume more prey that already contains small amounts of PFAS, such as forage fish (i.e. mullet).
Burdette pointed out the saltwater fish contamination issue will extend far into the aquatic food chain as well. Fish like croaker — which spend time in the coastal waters — can be eaten by other marine life such as dolphins, tuna, and king mackerel. This could lead to PFAS accumulating in species which don’t even enter the Cape Fear.
“If you were to eat king mackerel, you might find that it had PFAS in it because it had been eating croaker out of the Cape Fear basin,” Burdette said. “Then it’s also going to potentially affect the reproductive success of those larger fish too.”
Beyond the finfish already tested, Burdette noted a major gap in current data is the lack of research on shellfish. He specifically would like to see further study into species like blue crab, frequently caught in the river and consumed by the public. Blue crab is currently under an advisory for other contaminants, including mercury, but no PFAS data has been released.
Reacting to the ongoing issue of PFAS contamination, Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, believes the issue is a wake-up call for state regulators.
“Our quality of life is suffering because of irresponsible business practices upstream of us,” Donovan stated. “That needs to stop and the state needs to take ownership and start doing a better job of controlling pollution at the source.”
Contaminant levels showed a clear pattern: They were highest in fish collected near Wilmington and in the main part of the estuary, and then steadily decreased in samples taken further downstream toward the ocean.
Moving ahead, NCDHHS will review the results of the study to determine if they should issue fish consumption advisories within the next few months. Additionally, NCDEQ’s lead toxicologist Frannie Nilsen said the long-term goal is to do further PFAS research on fish in all of the state’s waterways, though it is contingent on available funding.
For Donovan, the success of the fish study is not necessarily low contaminant numbers, but rather the information it will provide to the public.
“Pregnant women, families, vulnerable populations can all make decisions on how much burden they want to continue being exposed to,” she said. “I think that’s an incredibly important piece of the puzzle is to be able to understand: If I go and eat flounder during flounder season, what sort of exposure risk am I? Is it worth the risk to be able to make that decision for ourselves? That’s huge.”
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