Purpose:
To conduct a study of Poly Brominated Dimethyl Ethers (PBDE) in fish from the San Francisco Bay in order to urge regional water quality authorities to set discharge standards for these persistent organic pollutants.

Levels of a little-known class of neurotoxic chemicals found in computers, TV sets, cars and furniture are building up rapidly in key indicator species of San Francisco Bay fish, according to tests by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Tests on six kinds of commonly eaten Bay fish found PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in every fish sampled. Fish caught last fall by local anglers were compared with archived samples from 1997, and PBDE levels more than doubled in halibut and more than tripled in striped bass - the two most commonly eaten Bay fish and key indicators of overall contamination.

Complete results of the tests - the first for PBDEs in San Francisco Bay fish - add to the evidence that the Bay Area is a hotspot for pollution from brominated chemicals used in commercial fire retardants.

Primary Contact for the Project:
Sonya Lunder
Environmental Analyst
Phone: (510) 444-0973 ext.303
Email: Sonya@EWG.org

Secondary Contact for the Project:
Renee Sharp
Senior Analyst
Phone: (510) 444-0973 ext.302
Email: Renee@EWG.org