LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Ohio River is known for many things, and unfortunately, one of those things is pollution.
That's why dozens of volunteers spent the day along the river not just for fun, but for science.
Their goal was to catch fish that will be tested for a dangerous chemical known as perfluorinated compounds, or PFAS, and other pollutants. These tests will help measure harmful substances in fish tissue and understand ecological impacts.
"There is no way the individuals in the community along the Ohio River could thrive if not for the abundance and the relative safety and cleanliness of the waters of Ohio River," Michael Washburn, the executive director for the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, said. He said monitoring the pollution levels in the Ohio River is critical.
And a good way to monitor is to get the community involved with a fishing pole and some bait.
"By testing the fish tissues for toxins we are getting a good proxy of water quality in the river," Washburn said.
Along with PFAS, the water has a variety of metals including mercury. Washburn says figuring out how much contamination helps aquatic ecosystems and overall river health.
"It's not a matter of are we going to find PFAS, it's more like what are the concentrations of PFAS that we are going to find in the fish," Washburn said.
Volunteers aimed to catch three samples from difference species of fish including catfish, drum and buffalo. Priya Alexander, a volunteer, caught a catfish.
She said she usually canoes on the river, so she's happy to do something new that could help keep the river healthy.
"This will really help figure out the toxicity of the river and do some advocacy around how to improve the water cleanliness," she said.
Washburn said the fish will go to the University of Louisville to be frozen and then shipped to a lab for testing. The final results will be available in the next month or two.
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