The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a request for information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAAS) in seafood in November 2024 in the wake of testing and studies that are finding a risk of these “forever chemicals” in high seafood diets.

“The FDA is seeking scientific data and information from the seafood industry, academia, state and federal agencies, as well as other interested entities, on PFAS concentrations in seafood, the surrounding environment, and processing water, as well as mitigation strategies for reducing exposure to PFAS in seafood,” said the FDA in a statement. “This request is part of our continued work to increase our understanding of the potential for PFAS exposure from seafood and to reduce dietary exposure to PFAS that may pose a health concern.”

The FDA collects samples and tests for PFAS in the general food supply in a number of ways, including through the FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS).

“Our testing indicates that seafood may be at higher risk for environmental PFAS contamination compared with other types of foods,” explained the FDA. “In 2021 and 2022, to expand on the results from the TDS samples and evaluate potential exposure to PFAS from other seafood types, the FDA collected additional seafood samples and conducted surveys targeting the most commonly consumed seafood in the United States. However, the data on PFAS in seafood are still limited for many other seafood types.”

What are PFAS?

The FDA says that PFAS are chemicals that resist grease, oil, water, and heat.

“They were first used in the 1940’s and are now in hundreds of products including stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, and fire-fighting foams. Certain PFAS are also authorized by the FDA for limited use in cookware, food packaging, and food processing equipment,” said the FDA.

Chemically, individual PFAS can be very different. However, all have a carbon-fluorine bond, which is very strong and therefore, they do not degrade easily – which has earned them the moniker of “forever chemicals.”

“The widespread use of PFAS and their persistence in the environment means that PFAS from past and current uses have resulted in increasing levels of contamination of the air, water, and soil,” says the FDA.

Why are PFAS a Concern?

The FDA says PFAS are a diverse group of thousands of chemicals used in hundreds of types of products.

“PFAS in the environment can enter the food supply through crops and animals grown, raised, or processed in contaminated areas. It is also possible for very small amounts of PFAS to enter foods through food packaging, processing, and cookware,” says the FDA. “Because exposure to some types of PFAS have been linked to serious health effects, we are working to better understand PFAS in foods.”

The FDA says that accumulation of certain PFAS has also shown through blood tests to occur in humans and animals.

“While the science surrounding potential health effects of bioaccumulation is developing, exposure to some types of PFAS have been associated with serious health effects,” says the FDA.

PFAS Exposures from High Seafood Diets May be Underestimated

A Dartmouth-led study released in 2024 suggests that people who frequently consume seafood may face an increased risk of exposure to PFAS.

“The findings stress the need for more stringent public health guidelines that establish the amount of seafood people can safely consume to limit their exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the researchers report in the journal Exposure and Health,” said a Dartmouth news release. “This need is especially urgent for coastal regions such as New England where a legacy of industry and PFAS pollution bumps up against a cultural predilection for fish, the authors write.”

Megan Romano, the study's corresponding author and an associate professor of epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine, said that “our recommendation isn’t to not eat seafood—seafood is a great source of lean protein and omega fatty acids. But it also is a potentially underestimated source of PFAS exposure in humans. Understanding this risk-benefit trade-off for seafood consumption is important for people making decisions about diet, especially for vulnerable populations such as pregnant people and children.”

FDA Says Understanding PFAS Exposure is a National Priority

The FDA in its request for information said that understanding the potential effects of Americans' PFAS exposure is a national priority.

“We are working to identify routes of PFAS exposure, understand associated health risks, and reduce the public’s dietary exposure to PFAS that may pose health concerns,”said the FDA. “The FDA is committed to maintaining the availability of safe seafood, as it provides key nutrients for children and adults. We will continue to apply the latest science to increase our understanding of the levels of PFAS in seafood and the reasons for differences within and across types of seafood and to help identify strategies that can reduce PFAS in seafood.

PFAS Testing and Seafood

In a 2022 targeted seafood survey, PFAS were detected in 74 percent (60 out of 81) of the samples of clams, cod, crab, pollock, salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and tuna, although the majority of these contained PFAS at a level that were not determined to be a health concern.

“The data on PFAS in seafood is still very limited; however, our testing indicates that seafood may be at higher risk for environmental PFAS contamination compared with other types of foods. Except for certain processed clams from China, exposure to the other seafood samples were not found to be likely health concerns based on available PFAS toxicological reference values (TRVs) at the time,” said the FDA, who posted voluntary recalls by two firms of the canned clams.

Results of additional testing in 2023-2024 of 12 samples of processed clams from the two processors associated with the highest levels of PFOA detected during the 2022 seafood survey showed that all 12 samples had detectable levels of at least one type of PFAS; PFOA was detected in all samples. Three shipments were refused entry into the U.S.

“Filter feeders, such as clams, but also other bivalve mollusks, including oysters, mussels, and scallops, have the potential to bioaccumulate more environmental contaminants than other seafood types. We are therefore pursuing additional sampling of bivalve mollusks (including imported and domestic clams) to better understand PFAS in commercially available seafood,” says the FDA.

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