Wednesday May 21, 2025
CalMatters —
Contaminants known as “forever chemicals” have been discovered in San Francisco Bay fish at levels that could pose a health threat to people who eat fish caught there, according to new research published today.
Linked to an array of health conditions such as cancers, heart disease and pregnancy disorders, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances resist breaking down in the environment. Used by industries to make waterproof coatings, firefighting foams, food packaging and more, these chemicals have contaminated people and animals everywhere around the globe, including newborns.
Researchers from the San Francisco Estuary Institute found the chemicals in striped bass, largemouth bass, leopard shark, white croaker, white sturgeon and other fish collected between 2009 and 2019 throughout San Francisco Bay.
Recreational and subsistence anglers catch striped bass and the other fish from boats, shores or piers, but they are not sold commercially. Many Asian immigrants, other people of color and low-income people fish in the bay to feed their families.