USF researchers tell Hillsborough commission they found PFAS and other pollutants in Tampa Bay fish and sediments
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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 concentrations of older pollutants are falling while newer contaminants are rising.
"The drinking water standard for PFAS is around 4 parts per trillion, and we've actually sampled them up to 34,000 parts per trillion in some of the fish in the bay," Murkowski said, citing results from fish sampled near MacDill and other locations. He pointed to potential inputs near the Tampa Bay Fire and Rescue training site—where aqueous film‑forming foam (AFFF) was used—and the Howard Kern plant discharge as areas of interest for higher concentrations.
The research team described four core objectives for the funded project: quarterly sampling of target fish species, replication of prior sediment studies to establish trends, oyster and invertebrate sampling at natural reefs in McKay Bay, and a roving-intercept survey to assess how frequently people catch and eat fish from the bay.
Survey results shown to the commission indicated a subset of residents consume fish from Tampa Bay frequently, with some respondents reporting very high rates of fishing and local fish consumption. Murkowski said those patterns are critical to exposure and risk assessments because meal frequency and portion size strongly influence potential health risks from contaminated seafood.
Commissioners and staff discussed potential funding sources to support remediation and monitoring; one commissioner noted Tampa Bay Water had recovered about $24 million in PFAS litigation funds that might be relevant for remediation projects. Murkowski said university researchers are also testing mitigation technologies, including small-scale electrocoagulation devices, but cautioned that removing pollutants once they are in the water column is difficult.
The commission voted to receive the presentation; no regulatory action was taken at this meeting. Murkowski concluded by asking for continued support for expanded sampling to build a mass-balance picture of pollutant inputs and pathways through the bay.
