You are what you eat.
That old adage has never meant more than it does right now… even if you’re a fish!
While we’ve been telling you for years that farmed salmon just doesn’t have the same nutritional bang as the wild-caught variety, some new findings by the University of Pittsburgh will have you thinking twice before allowing any “aquaculture” salmon on your dinner table.
Because as it turns out that no matter where your carefully cooked farmed salmon came from, be it Chile, Canada, or even Norway, depending on what those fish were fed, they could contain the risky remnants of a long-banned chemical called polybrominated diphenyl ether, or PBDE.
It’s as important as ever to steer clear of PBDEs wherever they may be. But don’t think you can just give up your salmon steaks, filets, and kabobs – because that’s not the only place you’ll find this toxic legacy lingering.
Especially if you start looking in your home.
Banned… but not gone
Not too long ago, PBDEs were used on just about everything.
These highly toxic flame retardants were used in the production of carpet padding, plastics for electronics (such as TVs and computers), wire insulation, building materials and fabrics, and even sprayed on the foam inside of that favorite old couch or chair… you name it, and PBDEs probably touched it.
And while they were certainly used for a good reason — to keep a fire from quickly blazing out of control — like so many of the risky compounds that we so haphazardly used “back in the day,” we’ve since found out that these chemicals have a dark side – a very dark side.
Although most of the damaging health effects linked to PBDE exposure have been discovered through experiments on animals, it has long been accepted by experts that the same risks can apply to people, especially where damage to the brain, liver, immune system, and thyroid are concerned.
Even the notoriously spineless EPA has officially listed one PBDE chemical as a “possible human carcinogen.”
For kids, it’s believed that exposure can lead to behavioral problems (such as ADHD) and permanent learning and memory disorders.
While still in the womb, a child’s exposure to PBDEs is said to be even more damaging to their brain development – and at much lower amounts.
And even though these chemicals started being banned back in 1977, that didn’t mean they disappeared. Trying to do away with them after they were introduced was a lot like closing the barn door after the cows got out!
Well, PBDEs got out all right, and unfortunately, there’s no way we’ll be able to round them up again. These chemicals are now turning up in significant amounts in a lot of places, including the foods we eat – particularly farmed salmon.
A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh traced the PBDEs found in salmon samples all the way back to the feed given to those farmed fish.
And the concentrations were high enough to be “reaching our plates,” according to researchers.
It turns out that salmon farms, no matter where they’re located in the world, may be buying their fish food from countries that process huge amounts of discarded electronic garbage, such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
One of the reasons PBDEs are such an environmental disaster is that the residues from these chemicals don’t bind to the products in which they’re used. They can end up anywhere these items land, be it your living room… or a trash dump.
So, while we may think that PBDEs are long gone, they’re still coming back to haunt us. A couple of years ago, in fact, a study found that practically every single American adult tested had detectable levels of PBDEs in their bodies!
That’s why limiting any further exposure is vitally important. And that goes double for kids and expectant moms.
And while we can’t totally avoid coming into contact with these leftover toxins, there are three excellent ways to substantially lower your risk.
#1: If your home has any furniture with foam cushions made before 2005 (a year after two more PBDEs were banned), it should be replaced. The same goes for mattresses — especially crib mattresses!
#2: Be sure that your vacuum has a HEPA filter, as that will trap any PBDE dust in your home. And if you’re having any old carpeting removed, know that the foam backing was very likely to have been treated with PBDEs. So, vacuum the area carefully afterward and run a portable HEPA filter to clear the air.
#3: Buy only salmon that’s wild-caught and not farmed! While most all canned salmon is, any frozen or fresh filets should be carefully checked prior to purchasing by reading either the packaging or the little signs in the seafood case. An easy tip to remember is that if it’s Atlantic salmon, you can be sure it came from a farm.
With the wild-caught variety, you’ll also be avoiding potential antibiotic residues, as unlike its farm-raised counterpart, a wild salmon never takes any drugs!
“Your fish may contain banned toxic chemicals – study” Daily Mail, July 12, 2018, the-star.co.ke
