Alabama Issues 2025 Fish Consumption Advisories for 22 Waterways Due to Toxic Contamination

May 21, 2025 Bouldin Health 0
Senior environmental scientists with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management use electric currents to catch fish on White Oak Creek in Eufaula, Ala. The fish will be sent to a lab and sampled for contaminants as part of the state’s fish consumption advisory program. (Dennis Pillion )

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has released its 2025 fish consumption advisories, warning residents not to eat fish from 22 locations across the state due to contamination from toxic chemicals such as mercury, PCBs, and PFOS.

Each year, the state samples hundreds of fish from rivers, creeks, and reservoirs to assess the presence of harmful substances. In 2024, nearly 500 fish samples were collected. This year’s list includes three more no-consumption sitesthan last year.

“These toxic chemicals accumulate in fish and can pose long-term health risks if consumed,” ADPH said in a statement. However, the agency noted that recreational activities like swimming and boating are still considered safe in the affected waters.

Waterways Under “Do Not Eat” Advisory

Among the locations where no species of fish should be consumed are:

  • Choccolocco Creek (Calhoun/Talladega Counties) – PCBs and Mercury
  • Bear Creek Reservoir (Franklin County) – Mercury
  • Mobile River at Cold Creek (Mobile County) – Mercury
  • Lewis Smith Reservoir (Winston County) – Mercury
  • Pea River (Coffee County) – Mercury
  • Chickasaw Creek, Cowpen Creek, Blackwater River, and several others across Baldwin, Escambia, and Morgan counties

For the full list, visit ADPH’s website to see regional breakdowns.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Health officials say children under 14 and pregnant or nursing women are especially vulnerable. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can impair brain and nervous system development in unborn babies and small children.

The ADPH advises the following for high-risk groups:

  • Avoid king mackerel, swordfish, tilefish, and shark entirely
  • Limit white (albacore) tuna to 6 oz per week
  • Eat up to 12 oz weekly of lower-mercury fish like salmon, shrimp, or catfish
  • Check local advisories before eating fish caught recreationally

What Are PFOS, PCBs, and Mercury?

  • Mercury, a natural element, enters water systems mostly from coal-burning power plants and industrial runoff.
  • PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) are man-made chemicals used in industrial and consumer products. Both are extremely persistent in the environment and build up in fish over time.

These advisories are updated each year to help protect the public from long-term health risks associated with fish consumption.