Recent studies on forever chemicals found in fish drawing concern from Michigan anglers

St. Joseph, Mich.— Concerns around PFAS—also known as forever chemicals—are growing.

“Once they get into waterways, into soil, into sediment, it takes a very long time for them to break down,” said toxicologist Brandon Reid, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Two recently published studies showed the prevalence of these chemicals in freshwater fish; one conducted in Michigan by the Ecology Center found that all the fish sampled by the department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) tested positive for some amount of PFAS contamination in the Huron and Rouge River Watersheds.

“Once they get into fish, they can store up in the fillets of the fish, the meat and the tissues of the fish,” said Reid, who manages the Eat Safe Fish program for the state, which advises on how often a fish can be eaten without increasing the risk of long-term health issues caused by PFAS.

Reid said the PFAS contamination comes from a variety of sources—such as non-stick sprays, food packaging and firefighting foam—but it’s not found uniformly in Michigan’s waterways.

“It really depends on which water body you’re fishing in,” he said. “Some water bodies we’ve tested have been remarkably clean.”

Though he added they advise folks to avoid eating fish from areas where PFAS is found is found in high levels.

“Even just one meal a month could raise your risk of a harmful health effect,” Reid added.

Leo Economakos is a lifelong fisherman, and he sometimes eats what he catches.

So, you do a lot of fishing? I asked.

“A lot. Every day, just about,” he replied. “I’ve been eating fish all my life.”

I caught up with Economakos at a local bait and fishing supply shop. He told me he had been reading about the PFAs earlier that morning.

“Yeah, it’s a concern. But then they say, on the same token, you should eat a lot of fish, you know?” he said.

He added that he paid attention to the state’s guidelines on eating safe fish, but he worried that these chemicals—along with other pollutants—may disrupt the local fishing economy over time.

“It makes me sick when you see out on the lakes, wherever, things going into the water. People polluting,” he said. “It think it’s a shame that all those years, the factories and all these people doing it basically got a slap on the wrist. Sure, they’d pay a $100,000 fine but that’s like twenty-five cents to us. It was cheaper to do that than actually clean up what they’re causing. I don’t think the average guy that doesn’t fish realizes what a billion-dollar industry fishing is. It’s huge, and everything’s affected.”

Despite the environmental studies—the state said it’s too early to tell if PFAS contamination is increasing in the fish found in the state.

Michigan’s Eat Safe Fish guides can be found here: Eat Safe Fish Guides (michigan.gov)

The Ecology Center’s study can be found here: Community-Based Study on PFAS in Fish | Ecology Center (ecocenter.org)

The Environmental Working Group’s study can be found here: Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds - ScienceDirect