‘Forever chemicals’ found in fish in St. Lawrence River

A new report shows fish in the St-Lawrence River are contaminated with high levels of pollutants, including “forever chemicals,” leaving some experts concerned.

A new report shows fish in the St. Lawrence River are contaminated with high levels of pollutants, including some known as “forever chemicals,” leaving some experts concerned.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in items such as non-stick cookware and fire-retardant materials.

These chemicals are among those that are appearing in fish in lakes in the St. Lawrence River, a report published by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks found.

The report is published every three to five years, but this year it shows PFAS levels for the first time.

Sébastien Sauvé, a professor of environmental chemistry at Université de Montréal, says the finding from the report is particularly concerning because PFAS don’t easily degrade.

“They are causing concern for the health of humans,” he told CTV News. “I’m not surprised that we find PFAS in the fish from the St. Lawrence River.”

According to Sauvé, PFAS are found in fish in grocery stores, including most animal protein.

“On top of that, the Saint Lawrence River is a bit more contaminated because there’s a lot of cities and industries that that will release wastewater that contain PFAS,” he said.

The report also found that mercury levels for the species and sizes studied between 2019 and 2024 in lakes Saint-François, Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Pierre occasionally exceeded Health Canada’s guidelines.

It also found that levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a specific compound found within PFAS, often exceeded Quebec’s safety guidelines meant to protect animals that eat fish.

The current guidelines for consuming fish from Quebec waters are categorized by species, size and location. It factors in toxins like mercury, but it doesn’t include PFAS.

Quebec’s health ministry told CTV News it is working on updating its recommendations to include so-called forever chemicals.

“These recommendations aim to reduce the long-term risks associated with fish consumption, taking into account both the recreational impacts and the health benefits of consuming fish,” the ministry told CTV News in an email.

“The recommendations currently being developed will apply to the entire population. However, from a preventative perspective, specific recommendations for women planning a pregnancy, pregnant women, or breastfeeding women are already included in the Guide to Consuming Freshwater Sport Fish.”

The ministry says these restrictions apply to all fish caught along the St. Lawrence River, which is where PFAS concentrations may be highest.

However, Sauvé says he would like to see regulations for all food.