Lake Havasu City Anglers Face New PFAS Fish Advisories as Arizona Tests 25 Lakes for Forever Chemicals

The state is issuing new fish consumption advisories this summer that could change how Lake Havasu City residents and visitors eat the fish they catch. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will begin warning anglers about elevated levels of PFOS, a dangerous forever chemical, in fish tissue at recreation sites across the state.

State expands advisory program to cover PFAS

ADEQ, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, is adding PFOS testing to its existing Arizona Green Light Fisheries & Fish Consumption Advisory program. The state is testing fish tissue from more than 25 lakes, focusing on the state's most heavily used recreation sites.

Samples are being tested for 40 types of PFAS, in addition to mercury already included in the advisory program.

"ADEQ is committed to providing transparent, science-based information that communities can use to protect their health," said Randy Matas, acting water quality division director at ADEQ. "By adding PFOS to our existing advisory system, we are giving anglers clear guidance."

What the color-coded system means

The state website uses a color-coded system to guide anglers:

• Green means fish are safe to eat
• Orange means people may want to limit how often they eat certain fish
• Red means people should avoid listed fish entirely

The state already lists largemouth bass at Alamo Lake as red, meaning residents should avoid eating them.

Lake Havasu residents should check advisories before fishing

Lake Havasu is one of Arizona's most heavily used recreation sites. Community members are encouraged to check the Green Light Fisheries & Fish Consumption Advisories before fishing and use the information to guide whether and how often they consume certain species.

The state says some fish species carry a lower risk of contamination than others. Pollutants sink into sediment, and bottom-feeding fish consume those pollutants, which can build up in their tissue, state officials said.

Gov. Hobbs funded the testing through federal relief money

The PFAS fish tissue monitoring was made possible after Gov. Katie Hobbs provided American Rescue Plan Act funding. At the conclusion of the project, ADEQ will release a comprehensive report and upload the fish tissue data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality database, where it will be publicly available.

What to do if you eat contaminated fish

If anglers accidentally eat a contaminated fish, the state says not to panic. Fish consumption advisories address potential long-term exposure from eating fish. It generally becomes a concern only if people eat a lot of contaminated fish.

"It's not going to be an immediate 'oh no,'" said Dr. Erin Jordan, section manager for the Water Quality Division at ADEQ.

However, people should not make a habit of eating contaminated fish.

"You will see some of these pollutants build up in your tissue, just like how they build up in fish," Jordan said.

According to ADHS, PFAS absorption through skin is minimal. Activities such as swimming, wading and catch-and-release fishing pose little risk. However, the agency advises watching children closely if they may swallow water while swimming.

How to reduce exposure

In addition to following advisories, people can reduce exposure to contaminants by:

• Choosing fish with lower bioaccumulation factors, such as trout
• Removing organs and trimming skin where contaminants often concentrate
• Eating fish from different locations
• Prioritizing stocked fish

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals with fire-retardant properties that have been manufactured and used by various industries since the 1940s. They have been used in industrial processes and to make products such as stain- and water-resistant carpets and clothing, food packaging and firefighting foam. While research into the health effects of PFAS is ongoing, exposure has been linked to serious health issues, including certain cancers, immune system disruption and developmental problems.