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Swiss trout and pike found with excessive PFAS levels

Trout and pike in lakes in western Switzerland with excessive PFAS levels
Trout and pike in lakes in western Switzerland with excessive PFAS levels Keystone-SDA

Trout and pike in the lakes of western Switzerland contain excessive levels of the chemical group PFAS. This could jeopardise their saleability, according to canton Vaud.

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Since January 1, 2024, the chemists of the cantons of western Switzerland have been conducting an inventory of the contamination of fish with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) originating from lakes in western Switzerland and intended for sale.

To this end, a sampling campaign was organised in cantons Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Vaud, wrote canton Vaud. These cantons are home to the majority of professional fishing in French-speaking Switzerland.

Between May and December 2024, 146 fish were taken from Lake Geneva, Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Murten and Lac de Joux. The most commonly consumed fish species were tested: perch, whitefish, pike, roach, trout and zander.

+ Zander named Swiss Fish of the Year

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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