We’re taking Columbia River fish from the frying pan to the lab.
Now in its third year, Riverkeeper’s “Is Your Fish Toxic?” project uses a multimedia approach to combine personal stories with laboratory analysis to evaluate who eats fish containing toxic pollution and what can be done about it. By analyzing the toxic load in the very fish that people are bringing home to their families, we are making the direct connection to human health.
Do you fish on the Columbia? We’d love to talk to you about the fish you consume and whether or not you have concerns about the fish you eat.
Have a fish we can test? We’re testing a variety of species from diverse locations, and we're still looking for participants and fish samples to send to the lab. Contact Lorri@columbiariverkeeper.org if you’d like to be considered for our project.
Our formula: Personal stories + laboratory analysis + smart advocacy = less pollution
What are we testing fish for?
- Heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, chromium and lead
- Cancer-causing PCBs; and
- Toxic flame retardants that are reaching our river (called PBDEs, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers)
