The owner of jelly eels shop in Hoxton, London, prepares a live eel for jellying.
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), such as those used to make non-stick and water-repellent coatings on kitchenware and clothing, are contaminating vulnerable eel populations in lakes and rivers across Europe, according to a Greenpeace report. The report, “Slipping Away: the presence of perfluorinated chemicals in eels (Anguilla / Anguilla) from 11 European countries”, reveals that European eels, once common but now in rapid decline, are widely contaminated with these man-made chemicals. This is a source of rising concern due to their toxicity and widespread distribution in the environment.