Fish Testing for Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs)

Last Update: July 24, 2017

The New York State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC) are working together to collect, analyze, and evaluate fish from water bodies around the Newburgh and Hoosick Falls areas for a group of chemicals called PFCs (this includes PFOA and PFOS).

Preliminary results indicate that fish from some waters in the Newburgh and Hoosick Falls areas have elevated levels of PFCs, compared to fish from other waters. Until testing is complete, DOH recommends that people who fish these waters return their catch:

  • Newburgh waters:
    • Beaverdam Lake
    • Stream from Stewart State Forest to Beaverdam Lake
    • Lockwood Basin/Masterson Park Pond
    • Moodna Creek
    • Recreation Pond
    • Silver Stream
    • Washington Lake
  • Hoosick Falls area waters:
    • Thayers Pond

DEC also collected fish from Brown’s Pond in the Newburgh area, as well as the Hoosic River, Little Hoosic River, and the stream that receives drainage from the Petersburgh landfill, in the Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh areas. Preliminary results indicate that PFC concentrations in fish from these waterbodies are not elevated.

Currently, DEC is actively collecting additional fish samples from waterbodies in the Newburgh, Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh areas and will also have these fish analyzed for PFCs.

Although testing fish for PFCs is new, DOH has existing advice for other contaminants in fish:

  • Specific fish consumption advice for the Hoosic River and Little Hoosic River (downstream of the bridge at Route 2) – Due to PCBs, DOH recommends that men over 15 and women over 50 eat up to one meal per month of brown trout greater than 14 inches, and eat up to four meals per month of brown trout less than 14 inches and all other species. Because there is a specific advisory for these waters, women under 50 and children under 15 are advised to not eat any fish from the Hoosic River and the Little Hoosic River downstream of the bridge at Route 2.
  • General statewide advice – For New York State fresh waters (and some marine waters near the mouth of the Hudson River) without specific fish consumption advice, DOH has general advice to eat up to four meals per month of sportfish. This general advice currently applies to most waterbodies in the Newburgh, Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh areas.

For more information about the DOH fish consumption advisories, visit www.health.ny.gov/fish.

For more information about PFCs in Newburgh and Hoosick Falls, visit the PFOS in Drinking Water in Newburgh Area website and PFOA in Drinking Water in the Hoosick Falls website.