On a recent morning along the south fork of the Roanoke River, four DEQ researchers waded out in beautifully clear water, surrounded by thousands of snails clinging to rocks.
They’re collecting fish to learn whether a compound called GEN-X has built up in the bodies of fish.
Back in 2020, the chemical compound was detected in the water supply for the Roanoke Valley. The water reaching residents is now being filtered and is safe to drink, according to the Western Virginia Water Authority. However, it’s not clear whether it’s safe to catch and eat fish along the Roanoke River.
The team collected fish near the Elliston Wastewater Treatment Plant, the site that’s believed to be the source of a GEN-X leak into the Roanoke River.
One of those in the water was Mack Calvert, a biology major at Roanoke College and an intern with DEQ. On this day he was wearing an enormous backpack that sends electricity into the water to shock fish, to make it easier to catch them. He looked kind of like a ghostbuster moving through the river.
One of the biologists, Kelly Hazelgrove scooped up a fish with her net—a rock bass. Gold and brown speckles dot its body.
This bass, and the other fish the team catches, will be sent to a DEQ lab in Richmond to be analyzed for 40 different types of PFAS compounds, including GEN-X, which studies have linked to health risks, including cancer.
The Virginia Department of Health hasn’t yet released any health advisories on whether you should avoid consuming fish that have been exposed to PFAS. They’re still reviewing the data, including results from these fish collected in Elliston.
