Foam on surface water can contain harmful bacteria and chemicals, such as PFAS. If a waterbody contains PFAS, foam on the waterbody can also contain PFAS. To protect your health, avoid all foam on Michigan lakes, rivers, streams and other surface water.

If you do touch foam, avoid swallowing it and be sure to wash your hands before preparing food, eating or putting your hands in your mouth. You should also rinse off as soon as possible after swimming.

You should keep your pets away from touching or swallowing foam on bodies of water. If animals touch foam, they should be rinsed off and bathed with fresh water. 

Learn more about PFAS foam on lakes and streams.

Nearly all people in the United States have PFAS in their blood. PFAS have been used globally during the past century because they repel oil, stains, grease and water. They are sometimes used in firefighting foams. They are currently used in consumer products like stain repellants, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and shoes, fast food wrappers, personal care products and many other consumer goods. Because of this global use, PFAS have made it into the food chain, especially in fish and dairy products.

PFAS take a long time to break down in the environment. This means you may still be exposed to historical sources of PFAS. Some PFAS also take a long time to exit the human body. This means some PFAS might still be in your body from past exposures.

PFAS can get into our blood when we:

• Drink water contaminated with PFAS.
• Eat food contaminated with PFAS, such as fish and game and some dairy products.
• Eat food packaged in wrappers coated with PFAS.
• Accidentally swallow foam while swimming in water that contains PFAS.
• Use consumer products, such as nonstick pans if damaged or heated to high temperatures
• Use cleaning products, stain repellants and personal care products that contain PFAS.
• Breathe in indoor dust containing PFAS from household products.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has started multiple projects to learn more about PFAS exposure in Michigan residents and to learn more about the links between PFAS exposure and health.

Call 844-464-7327 or visit Michigan.gov/DEHBio to learn more about these important PFAS research projects.

For more information about PFAS and health, visit the MDHHS PFAS Learn page.

Research is on-going to understand how PFAS affects health. Reducing exposure to PFAS can help prevent potential health effects from PFAS exposure. Because children are still developing, they may be more sensitive to the harmful effects of chemicals such as PFAS.

Being exposed to PFAS does not guarantee the development of health effects. However, chronic exposure to certain PFAS has been linked to several health effects, including:

• Thyroid disease.
• Liver damage.
• High cholesterol, especially total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
• Decreased immune system response to vaccines in children.
• Development of certain types of cancer, particularly kidney and testicular cancers.
• Reduced fertility.
• High blood pressure or preeclampsia during pregnancy.
• Small decreases in infant birth weight.

If you have health concerns related to PFAS exposure, talk to your doctor about your concerns. It is always good to have regular check-ups for possible health problems. For more information, visit ATSDR: Talking to Your Health Care Provider about Exposure to PFAS.

MDHHS has started multiple projects to learn more about PFAS exposure in Michigan residents and to learn more about the links between PFAS exposure and health. Call 844-464-7327 or visit Michigan.gov/DEHBio to learn more about these important PFAS research projects.

Your skin is a good barrier to PFAS. This means it is usually safe to bathe, wash dishes and do your laundry with water that contains PFAS. It is also usually safe to swim in and use water recreationally that contains PFAS, unless other advisories are in place.

However, PFAS could enter your body if high levels of PFAS stay on your skin for a long time. If you swim in water that contains PFAS or touch foam on surface water, be sure to shower or bathe afterwards. You should also wash your hands before preparing food, eating or putting your hands in your mouth. You should avoid foam on lakes, rivers and other waterbodies as foam can contain harmful bacteria and chemicals like PFAS.

If you come into contact with foam on a lake or stream, you should avoid swallowing or continuing to touch it.

If you touch foam, be sure to wash your hands before preparing food, eating or putting your hands in your mouth. You should also rinse off as soon as possible and bathe or shower after swimming in it.

Learn more about PFAS foam on lakes and streams.

If you are interested in a PFAS blood test, talk to your healthcare provider about the limitations, risks and benefits of testing.

A blood test for PFAS cannot tell you when and how you were exposed or how much PFAS you were exposed to. PFAS blood tests also cannot tell you if any past, present or future health problems are due to your level of exposure.

However, a PFAS blood test can tell you the amount of PFAS in your blood at the time it was drawn and how the amount of PFAS in your blood compares to the average of blood PFAS levels in the U.S. population. 

Factsheet: blood testing for PFAS

Blood tests for PFAS can measure the amount of PFAS in your blood at the time it is collected.

A blood test for PFAS can tell you:

• The amount of certain PFAS in your blood at the time it was drawn.
• How the amount of PFAS in your blood compares to the average of blood PFAS levels in the U.S. population.

A blood test for PFAS cannot tell you:

• When and how you were exposed to PFAS.
• How much PFAS you were exposed to.
• If past, present or future health problems are due to PFAS exposure.
• Recommendations for treatment.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly all people in the United States have some amount of PFAS in their blood. It is important to note that doctors are unable to predict health problems related to PFAS based on a blood test. Additionally, blood tests for PFAS can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance.

If you're thinking about having your blood tested for PFAS, talk to your doctor about your health concerns related to PFAS exposure. It is important to have regular check-ups with a health care provider.

Factsheet: blood testing for PFAS

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services currently has multiple biomonitoring research projects and health studies underway that study health effects of PFAS exposure. The information gathered from these projects can be used to help recommend changes to public health policies and better protect communities that may be at greater risk of exposure.

These projects will help us learn about:

• Our exposures: What types of chemicals Michiganders are exposed to.
• Our environment: How much exposure people could be getting from the environment.
• Our health: How these chemicals affect the health of Michiganders.

The projects include:

• Environmental Mediators of Birth-defects and Relation to Contaminants (EMBARC).
• Michigan PFAS Exposure & Health Study (MiPEHS).
  •    MiPEHS Brain Health Study.
• Behavioral Adaptability: Learning About Novel Contamination in the Environment (BALANCE).
• Multi-site Health Study (MSS).
• PFAS Exposure and Antibody Response to COVID 19 Vaccine Study (PEAR).

Call 844-464-7327 or visit Michigan.gov/DEHBio to learn more about these important PFAS research projects.

Health conditions may or may not be caused by PFAS exposure – it is difficult to know without more information. Talk to your healthcare provider about your health and concerns.

If you are concerned about PFAS exposure, consider talking to your healthcare provider about a blood test for PFAS. However, a blood test for PFAS will only tell you the amount of PFAS in your blood at the time it was drawn. A PFAS blood test will not identify current or future health problems or provide suggestions on treatment. 

Factsheet: blood testing for PFAS