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USF researchers tell Hillsborough commission they found PFAS and other pollutants in Tampa Bay fish and sediments
Summary
University of South Florida researchers told the Environmental Protection Commission that a multi-year study of Hillsborough and McKay Bay found elevated levels of PFAS and other contaminants in sediments and recreationally caught fish, identified likely source areas near MacDill and a firefighting-foam site, and outlined further sampling and risk-assessment steps.
Dr. Steven Murkowski, an oceanographer at the University of South Florida, briefed the Environmental Protection Commission on a multi-year project that assessed both known pollutants and contaminants of emerging concern in Hillsborough and McKay Bay. The study combines sediment sampling, targeted fish sampling and surveys of recreational fishers to better estimate exposure.
Murkowski said the project is tracking legacy contaminants such as DDT and PCBs alongside emerging chemicals including PFAS, pharmaceuticals and plasticizers. He noted established NOAA monitoring sites in Tampa Bay and said the research aims to determine whether…
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