High contamination discovered in backup water reservoir raises food safety concerns.
According to reports from Swedish public broadcaster SVT and P4 Kalmar radio, fish caught in a backup water reservoir at Sweden’s Oskarshamn nuclear power plant contained PFAS levels 18 times above the legal limit.
Contamination Information
Seven fish were sampled, and all had high concentrations of PFAS. One perch had 170 micrograms of PFAS per kilogram, while the legal limit is only 9.1 micrograms per kilogram.
Expert Warnings
Mattias Öberg, associate professor of toxicology at Karolinska Institute, called on authorities to issue warnings about consuming locally caught fish and to test local drinking water sources and private wells in the area. Source of Contamination According to Désirée Liljevall, press officer at Uniper, the majority owner of the plant, high levels of PFAS are believed to originate from fire-fighting training exercises conducted near the backup water reservoir using foam containing PFAS. Public Health Impact The discovery has sparked concern among local residents who regularly fish in the area, raising questions about the safety of consuming locally caught fish and potential contamination of drinking watersources.
Sources:
P4 Kalmar/Sveriges Radio: “Höga halter PFAS upptäckt i fiskar vid kärnkraftverket” (November 12, 2025)
SVT Nyheter: “Fisk med höga halter PFAS vid kärnkraftverket i Oskarshamn” (November 12, 2025)
