HYANNIS – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued new fish consumption advisories to provide guidance on safe fish consumption to people catching and consuming freshwater game fish following the discovery of PFAS in five waterbodies.
Testing of fish in the areas showed higher than recommended levels of PFAS for safe consumption.
Surface testing on 16 waterbodies found unsafe PFAS levels in Johns Pond in Mashpee, Flax Pond in Bourne, Jenkins and Grews Ponds in Falmouth and Mashpee-Wakeby Pond in Mashpee and Sandwich.
Surface water in Shubael Pond in Barnstable; Hen Cove and Squeteague Harbor in Bourne; Crooked, Mares, Flax and Round Ponds in Falmouth; Santuit Pond in Mashpee; and Peter’s, Snake and Triangle Ponds in Sandwich was found to be safe.
The fish consumption advisories apply to all native game fish, but do not Apply to stocked trout who have been raised in fish hatcheries and are unlikely to be contaminated.
The fish consumption advisories contain guidance on the amount of fish that can be consumed from each specific location based on a number of factors including PFAS levels found in the fish.
The advisories are meant to protect sensitive populations such as children under twelve, pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as the general population.
The locations were chosen by the DPH due to their proximity to Joint Base Cape Cod where PFAS has been found in the past, as well as their popularity for fishing and swimming.
DHR and MassDEP tested the area and found that nearby public water systems did not indicate a PFAS concern.
Additionally, the DHR reported that PFAS levels were not high enough to make swimming or recreation unsafe in any of the 16 waterbodies.
To view the advisories in full, click here.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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