Advisory: Do not eat fish in Oakland, Livingston, and Washtenaw counties

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued an emergency fish advisory for a chain of lakes along the Huron River in Oakland, Livingston and Washtenaw counties.

Fish from Kent Lake in the Huron River were tested for PFOS. Elevated levels of PFOS were found in all fish filets tested. 

As a result, a Do Not Eat advisory is in effect for all fish from the Huron River at Milford to the Huron River at the Livingston and Washtenaw county border. This includes Hubbell Pond, Kent Lake, Strawberry and Zukey Lake, Gallagher Lake, Loon Lake, Whitewood Lakes, Base Line and Portage Lakes. 

PFAS are manmade chemicals not naturally found in the environment used in a variety of industrial and consumer products. 

Potential health effects are high cholesterol, increased liver enzymes, decreased vaccination response, thyroid disorders, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, adverse reproductive and developmental effects, and cancer.

It has been determined that touching the fish or water and swimming in the waters is not a health concern.