(FOX 2) - You should avoid eating fish from several Michigan lakes and a pond due to high levels of harmful substances found in fish taken from the water bodies.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released this Do Not Eat advisory ahead of the release of next year's Eat Safe Guide release to ensure people are aware and can make informed choices about what they eat.
Great Lakes safe fish guidelines: How much fish you can safely eat per month
Michigan has some of the best fishing in the world. But toxic 'forever chemicals' like PFAS makes eating them less safe. Here are the guidelines for fish caught in each Great Lake.
Dig deeper:
According to MDHHS, filets of fish taken from these bodies of water had elevated levels perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS):
- Luvis Lake in Grandville
- Porter Lake in Grandville
- Spelman Lake located at the Wyoming Clean Water Plant
- Hopewell Indian Mounds Pond in Wyoming
The PFOS levels in the fish ranged from 74.4 to 514.3 parts per billion (ppb). The Eat Safe Fish program issues Do Not Eat advisories when the average level of PFOS found in the fish filets exceeds 49.6 ppb.
"We recommend that no one eat fish listed as Do Not Eat, regardless of age or health," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "When these fish were tested, MDHHS found high levels of PFOS, and we want Michiganders to be aware that eating fish from these waterbodies could possibly lead to health problems in the future."
Why you should care:
MDHHS said eating fish contaminated with PFOS can cause health problems, such as:
- Harm to thyroid function
- Changes in immune response
- Increases in LDL and total cholesterol levels
- Harm to liver function
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia
The Source: This information is from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
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