Advisory: Beware of the fish you catch in the Chickahominy Watershed

The Virginia Department of Health has issued a fish consumption advisory for the Chickahominy Watershed due to elevated perfluorooctane sulfonate levels in specific fish species.

Insert wisecrack about Robert F. Kennedy’s kid saying it’s actually OK to eat whatever you want because the scientists don’t know what they’re talking about here.

The affected species include creek chubsucker, chain pickerel, largemouth bass and sunfish.

VDH, in its advisory, suggests eating no more than two fish meals per month from the Chickahominy River, and advises against eating any of the specified fish meals from White Oak Swamp.

My own unofficial advice would be: don’t eat anything from these waters.

The reason: fish tissue samples show elevated PFOS levels in certain fish species. These amounts exceed the amount considered safe for long-term human consumption.

A press release from VDH tells us that the health effects of PFOS exposure can include increased cholesterol or changes in liver enzymes. Exposure can also lower antibody response to some vaccines, and can cause pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and a decrease in birth weight.

The samples, collected from November 2021 through September 2023, are from the Chickahominy River and White Oak Swamp.

The advisory is for the Chickahominy River/Lake and the White Oak Swamp and all tributaries. For the Chickahominy River, the advisory extends from the confluence of the Chickahominy River with the James River, upstream to the State Route 360 bridge at the Henrico-Hanover County line near Mechanicsville.

For the White Oak Swamp, the advisory extends from the confluence of White Oak Swamp and the Chickahominy River, upstream to the headwaters of White Oak Swamp and White Oak Swamp Creek near the Richmond International Airport.

This advisory area poses no health risk for recreational activities. Swimming, water skiing, and boating can continue in the advisory area.

Again, I dunno.

For more information, visit the VDH Fish Consumption Advisory page.