United States Office of Water
Environmental Protection Agency 4305T
EPA-820-F-13-005
September 2013
Contaminants of Emerging
Concern (CECs) in Fish:
Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs)
About PFCs
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a class of synthetic compounds containing thousands of chemicals
formed from carbon chains with fluorine attached to these chains. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are two of the best known PFCs. The chemical structure of PFCs
gives them unique properties, such as thermal stability and the ability to repel both water and oil,
that make them useful components in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products, including
non-stick cookware, food packaging, waterproof clothing, fabric stain protectors, lubricants, paints, and
fire fighting foams. Large volumes of PFCs have been produced since the 1950s. Their high production
volume led to widespread distribution in the environment, particularly in water where they are most
readily transported. EPA initiated a program in 2006 to phase out emissions and use of long-chain
Perfluorinated chemicals (including PFOA) by the end of 2015 because these chemicals are persistent,
bioaccumulative, and toxic.
Why Is Studying PFCs in Fish Important?
Since 2000, PFCs have emerged as contaminants of concern because they are broadly distributed and persistent
in the environment. The vast majority of people living in industrialized nations have detectable concentrations of
many PFCs in their blood serum. Elevated concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in human blood have been linked
to a number of potential health effects, including immunotoxicity, decreased sperm count, low birth weight,
thyroid disease, and high cholesterol (PFOA only). PFCs have also been associated with endocrine disruption
and cancer in animal studies. Recent modeling studies estimate that PFC contamination in food may account for
more than 90% of human exposure to PFOS and PFOA, with results from other studies suggesting that fish from
contaminated waters may be the primary source of exposure to PFOS.
How Is EPA Responding?
Based on potential health risks to people exposed to PFOS in fish, the EPA identified the need for a more comprehensive
characterization of PFC contamination in U.S. fish. As a result, EPA planned and conducted a national-scale study
of urban rivers and a regional-scale study of the Great Lakes to evaluate the extent of PFC
contamination in freshwater fish. The purpose of the studies is to develop national and
regional estimates of the median concentrations of PFCs in fish from U.S. rivers and the
Great Lakes, respectively. The statistical design of the studies also allows for estimation of
the percentage of river miles or nearshore lake area with fish tissue concentrations above
a specified human health threshold. EPA established partnerships to conduct the following
studies:
• The National Rivers and Streams Assessment (2008-2014)
• National Coastal Condition Assessment, Great Lakes Human Health Fish Tissue Study
(2010-2014)
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National Rivers and Streams Assessment
CEC and Legacy Fish Tissue Contamination Studies
First statistically based national assessment of contaminants in fish from U.S. rivers
NRSA Fish Sampling Locations (542)
Sites
• Urban Rivers (164)
• Non-urban Rivers (378)
Study Design
• 164 randomly selected urban river segments
sampled in the lower 48 states during 2008 and
2009
• Five fish collected per site to form one composite
sample for fillet analysis because people typically
consume fillets
• Fillets analyzed for 13 PFCs (e.g., PFOS and PFOA)
• Fillet results for other CECs (musks) from the
164 urban river sites
• Additional fillet results for PBDEs and legacy
contaminants (mercury, selenium, PCBs, and
pesticides) from the full set of 542 river sites
sampled for fish
Future RFC
Milestones
Report
RFC
Results
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National Coastal Condition Assessment
Great Lakes Human Health Fish Tissue Study
First statistically based assessment of chemicals in Great Lakes fish
relevant to human health
NCCA Great Lakes Human Health Fish Tissue Study
Sampling Locations (157)
Study Design
• 157 randomly selected nearshore sites sampled in
the 5 Great Lakes (about 30 sites per lake) during
2010
• One fish sample collected per site for fillet analysis
• Fillets analyzed for 13 PFCs
• Fillet results for other CECs (PBDEs), mercury, and
PCBs
• First broad assessment of fatty acids in Great
Lakes fish
Complete
Statistical
Analysis
of PFC Data
Future PFC
Milestones
Report
PFC
Results
For additional information contact:
Leanne Stahl at stahl.leanne@epa.gov
or access http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishstudies/
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