Skip to main content

Seafood Consumption Tied to 'Forever Chemical' Exposure Risk

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 24, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 24, 2024 -- Northeastern U.S. seafood consumers may be exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations that potentially pose a health risk, according to a study published online April 12 in Exposure and Health.

Kathryn A. Crawford, Ph.D., from the Environmental Studies Program at Middlebury College in Vermont, and colleagues surveyed 1,829 New Hampshire residents in June 2021 to determine consumption frequency, portion size, types, and sources of seafood among adults and children (aged 2 to 11 years). Additionally, the researchers purchased the most commonly consumed species from a seafood market in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and quantified 26 PFAS compounds.

The researchers found that estimated daily seafood consumption rates for adults and children were a median 33.9 and 5.0 g/day, respectively, which were somewhat higher than National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimates for the Northeastern United States. Shrimp and lobster, purchased locally, had PFAS detected at median concentrations ranging from below the limit of detection to 1.74 and 3.30 ng/g, respectively.

"Seafood is an important source of nutrition, cultural heritage, and dietary preference for many people across the U.S. and globally, and appropriately assessing PFAS exposure risk from seafood consumption is critical for developing public health messaging that appropriately weighs benefits and risks of consumption," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2024

Read this next

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Linked to Lower Risk for Mortality

TUESDAY, June 4, 2024 -- Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk for all-cause mortality, which is partly explained by multiple cardiometabolic...

Ultraprocessed Food Intake Tied to Chronic Insomnia

TUESDAY, June 4, 2024 -- Consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) is independently tied to chronic insomnia in the general population, according to a study recently published in...

Peanut Consumption Starting in Infancy Provides Lasting Tolerance

THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 -- Peanut consumption starting in infancy and continuing to age 5 years provides lasting tolerance into adolescence, according to a study published in the...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.