Water Quality for Fisheries Program:
PFAS and Heavy Metal Contamination in North Carolina Oyster Populations
Coastal Carolina Riverwatch (CCRW), in partnership with Duke University researchers Dr. Lee Ferguson and Dr. Heileen Hsu-Kim, has launched a critical project to investigate the contamination of farm-raised and wild-caught oysters in North Carolina. This research, funded by the Environmental Enhancement Grant (EEG) program, focuses on detecting PFAS and heavy metals in oyster populations within the White Oak River Basin (WORB).
Why This Project Matters
The safety of North Carolina’s seafood, particularly oysters, is vital for both the economy and community health. Although seafood advisories exist, current guidelines for oysters do not include PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and heavy metals.
This project is driven by three key objectives:
- Elevating community voices to ensure they are heard and included in efforts to protect water quality.
- Educating underserved coastal areas about the dangers of PFAS and heavy metal contamination.
- Advocating for cleaner waters to support the shellfishing industry and the broader coastal ecosystem.
Project Overview
PFAS and heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc have been identified as top concerns by coastal fishers due to their impacts on water quality and fisheries. CCRW is working to assess the levels of these contaminants in oysters across 10 sites in the WORB, ranging from areas with known PFAS sources to regions without identified contamination. The research involves:
- Sampling oysters, water, and sediment.
- Analyzing the samples for contamination at Duke University laboratories.
- Surveying local communities to assess oyster consumption habits and potential health risks.
Health and Environmental Risks
Both PFAS and heavy metals pose significant risks to human health and marine ecosystems:
- PFAS: Linked to serious health effects such as increased cholesterol levels, liver enzyme changes, and heightened cancer risks.
- Heavy Metals: Long-term exposure can result in kidney and liver damage, reproductive issues, and skeletal deformities in aquatic species like fish and oysters.
Outreach and Impact
CCRW is developing a comprehensive public outreach campaign to educate North Carolina’s coastal communities about the risks of PFAS and heavy metals. This includes:
- Promoting the adoption of PFAS-free alternatives, especially for marina fire suppression systems that may use PFAS-containing firefighting foams.
- Sharing findings through academic publications, local media, and community meetings to help support policy efforts to limit PFAS and heavy metal use.
Learn more about this ongoing research and explore additional resources on PFAS and heavy metal contamination at Coastal Carolina Riverwatch’s website.
For a detailed overview of PFAS contamination from marina fire suppression systems and how to mitigate their impact on waterways, view our advocacy alert.
In light of our current research on oysters and PFAS in the WORB, we have put together a brochure that we are sharing with local marinas. We have recently discovered that marina dry stack facilities may be using AFFF (PFAS containing fire fighting foam) in their fire suppression systems. This has obvious concerns around PFAS entering waterways in the case of the system going off or there being a leak.
