Seattle's NOAA operation testing safety of Gulf fish

While Gulf states gradually reopen some coastal regions to fishing, diced grouper and shredded shrimp continue to pour into Seattle's Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

Jars of seafood samples line laboratory benches at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility, awaiting detailed chemical analysis for traces of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill.

But nobody checks for traces of the chemical dispersants dumped in the Gulf in unprecedented amounts to break up the oil.

NOAA scientists in Seattle are working on a procedure to detect minute levels of the chemicals in the flesh of fish and shellfish, said center Director Usha Varanasi. But don't expect it to be rolled out soon.

"Method development takes time," Varanasi said Thursday during a tour of the lab in Montlake.

NOAA spokesman Brian Gorman said an initial version of the test might be ready within six weeks. Even then, agencies have yet to determine what level of dispersant chemicals is safe — or dangerous — to consume.

It's "outrageous" that regulatory agencies like NOAA don't already have a test, said Seattle toxicologist Steve Gilbert, an affiliate professor at the University of Washington who also runs the website Toxipedia.

"Why are we playing catch-up?"

A government whistle-blower group filed a petition this week, urging federal agencies to begin testing Gulf seafood for the presence of dispersant chemicals as soon as possible.

"One of the greatest unaddressed concerns associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is dispersant contamination of the seafood consumed by the public," says the petition from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

The U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) must respond to the petition within 180 days, said PEER attorney Christine Erickson.

BP used an estimated 2 million gallons of the chemical dispersant Corexit to break up oil, both on the surface and deep underwater near the gushing well. Federal officials have acknowledged the health and environmental effects of the chemicals haven't been well studied.

Based on their chemistry, which is similar to water-soluble detergents, there's no reason to expect the dispersants to be highly toxic or to accumulate in fish and shellfish, Varanasi said. And because the dispersants mix with oil, NOAA's existing tests for petroleum contaminants should also detect any samples tainted by dispersant, she added.

Gilbert agrees those are reasonable assumptions — but says there's little evidence to back them up. "It's just nutty that we haven't done the studies."

Working with states and other federal agencies, NOAA has the authority to close down fishing in waters with visible oil on the surface, Varanasi explained.

Determining the safety of seafood caught in waters where fishing is allowed is a two-part process. First, NOAA inspectors on the scene apply a sniff test, rejecting seafood with even the faintest whiff of oil.

Seafood samples with no detectable odor are shipped to Seattle for more detailed chemical analysis with an array of instruments that can detect toxic petroleum compounds down to a few parts per billion.

All of the more than 1,000 samples tested so far have received a clean bill of health — with petroleum compound levels far below those considered harmless, Varanasi said.

"This has given us a lot of confidence that the seafood that is being harvested ... and reaching market is safe," she said.

To deal with the heavy workload, lab managers recalled retired workers, hired a few new ones and diverted all lab employees from other projects. Complete testing of a sample batch takes 3 to 5 days. The lab processes several batches simultaneously.

Testing could continue for years, Varanasi said.

"We are here to do it as long at it needs to be done."

Staff scientists are also working with the FDA to improve a screening test that can give a quick "yes or no" assessment, reducing the need for the more time-consuming and expensive lab tests.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@seattletimes.com