Michigan issues 'Do Not Eat" fish advisory for PFAS in Kent County ponds

LANSING, Mich. – As part of the state of Michigan’s effort to address nationally emerging contaminants, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Kent County Health Department (KCHD) have issued an emergency ‘Do Not Eat’ fish advisory for fish caught from ponds near the Boulder Creek Development, 4300 Cannonsburg Rd. in Belmont. The advisory relates to the state’s work to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).

Surface water samples from the ponds located near the development site found elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The samples were collected May 30, 2018. Based on these results, there is a reasonable expectation that fish in these waterbodies may have elevated levels of PFOS

Science has shown that PFOS bioaccumulates in fish from waterbodies with elevated surface water levels of PFOS. Until fish data is available, an emergency ‘Do Not Eat’ fish advisory is in place for these waterbodies. Touching the fish or water is not considered a health concern because PFAS and PFOS do not move easily through the skin.

The surface water results for the ponds include:

MDHHS releases annual Eat Safe Fish Guides in the Spring, and emergency advisories throughout the year as new data becomes available. The Eat Safe Fish guidelines are set to be protective for everyone including children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, and  people with existing health problems such as cancer or diabetes.

For current guidelines relating to PFAS contamination in fish, visit www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse. For more information about the Eat Safe Fish guidelines, visit www.michigan.gov/eatsafefish.