This story was copublished with Planet Detroit and Detroit Metro Times.
Tenitia Purple Rudolf has fished the Detroit, Huron and Rouge rivers since she was nine. Fishing is important to her family, who migrated to Detroit from Mississippi before she was born.
She says she once made good money selling catfish and bluegill to Detroit seafood markets. But it’s been a few years since she sold her catch. She quit when she learned a family of chemicals called PFAS were likely in the fish she was catching. Rudolf didn’t want to expose her community to toxic substances and potential health problems.
Last year, Rudolf participated in a study conducted by the nonprofit Ecology Center to understand the extent of PFAS contamination in the fish in area waterways. The study found PFAS compounds in every one of the 60 bluegills, catfish, rock bass and other fish that six local anglers, including Rudolf, caught.
“I never really thought about fish being toxic,” Rudolf says. “So these tests are important to see exactly what we eat. It’s a huge concern for me and mine.”
But PFAS are present in far more places than just fish. You can’t see, smell or taste them, but they are everywhere, possibly lurking in the water you drink, the air you breathe and the consumer goods you use daily.
Most people’s primary PFAS exposure risk comes from contaminated food and water. Companies that produce and use these compounds are often responsible for spills that persist in the environment and contaminate groundwater, wells, produce and livestock.
Food packaging and indoor air also pose risks, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banning PFAS in food packaging and states introducing bans on PFAS in consumer products. Despite widespread exposure, reducing future exposure is crucial, especially for pregnant women.
Map of known PFAS-contaminated sites in metro Detroit
The contamination can feel inescapable — from polluted household wells to consumer products we all use daily.
Here’s a guide to PFAS, where they’re found and how to reduce your exposure.
- What are PFAS and how do they impact our health?
- PFAS and drinking water
- PFAS and fish in Michigan waterways
- PFAS exposure from the air
- What consumer products contain PFAS?
What are PFAS and how do they impact our health?
PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in various industries worldwide since the 1940s. They persist in the environment and in our bodies, accumulating in tissues like the liver and kidneys.
They’re found in various consumer products that resist grease, water and oil, such as nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, food wrappings, cosmetics, and firefighting foams.
The compounds are implicated in a wide range of health issues — including metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, liver damage, immune system impairment, and kidney and testicular cancers. They’ve also been linked to low birth weight, decreased growth and developmental delays in infants and children. They’re suspected of disrupting hormones, impairing fertility and even causing obesity.
One 2019 study showed Black women in Southeast Michigan aged 45-56 years had higher concentrations of PFOS (one particular type of PFAS) than white women. Another study found that PFAS exposure increased the risk for diabetes in middle-aged women, including in Southeast Michigan.
Jackie Goodrich, a research associate professor of environmental health sciences and toxicologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, studies the impact of PFAS compounds on human health in Southeast Michigan.
Her work has uncovered links between PFAS exposure and a higher risk for hypertension disorders such as preeclampsia during pregnancy. Goodrich’s research also found ties to and adverse birth outcomes like lower birth weight. “That could impact babies’ health and development from that point onwards,” she says.
The guidelines below outline actions you can take to protect yourself and your family against PFAS exposure. But there’s only so much an individual can do without systemic action. Lawmakers are increasingly passing legislation to ban PFAS, and people are taking legal action against chemical manufacturers. To learn more about PFAS advocacy in Michigan, contact the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network.
PFAS and drinking water
What to know: Drinking water, alongside food, is a major route of PFAS exposure. The Great Lakes Water Authority, which supplies most metro Detroiters with drinking water, says its water is PFAS-free. But state data reveal PFAS contamination in other public drinking water supplies in Southeast Michigan, including Ann Arbor, which spends $250,000 annually to remove PFAS from the Huron River. Public water systems in several metro Detroit areas have matched or exceeded new federal standards, necessitating further evaluation and potential future treatment.
Private wells and municipal water supplies that use groundwater are also at risk, with more than 165,000 wells in metro Detroit potentially affected. Experts say removing PFAS from drinking water nationwide will cost tens of billions of dollars.
What to do if you’re on a public water supply
The first step is determining whether the water you drink regularly contains PFAS. One place to start is with your local municipal drinking water report, which you can access on your municipality’s or water utility’s website.
These reports contain a wealth of information about all aspects of drinking water quality. However, Michigan does not require all public water suppliers to regularly test for PFAS. For example, schools or workplaces that are part of community water supplies do not need to perform their own sampling.
State officials are quick to point out, however, that they have conducted their own tests. Scott Dean, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), notes that Michigan was the first state in the nation to test every public water system — from the Great Lakes Water Authority to schools and mobile home parks with 25 customers. That data is available online in map and table form.
What to do if you’re on well water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and experts recommend annual testing for those with private drinking water wells to ensure there is no contamination. For guidance on how to get your well tested for PFAS, check EGLE’s website. The department emphasizes that people should use filters or alternative water sources if PFAS levels exceed recommended limits. You can find Michigan’s standards on the state’s website.
If your water contains PFAS
If you are concerned about PFAS in your tap water, you can filter your water using point-of-use or whole-house systems; however, the latter can be expensive. NSF International — an independent, accredited organization — tests and certifies products to ensure they meet public health and safety standards. It certifies water filters for their effectiveness in reducing PFAS, specifically PFOS and PFOA (another form of PFAS), to below EPA health advisory levels.
Some pitcher filters can effectively reduce PFAS. You can find NSF-certified filters on the organization’s website.
Unfortunately, switching to bottled water may not be a safer alternative to your faucet; recent consumer testing has found PFAS in 39 of 101 unique bottled water brands sampled.
PFAS and fish in Michigan waterways
What to know: The state’s guidance says it’s safe to eat fish from the Detroit River and does not include a PFOS-related fish consumption advisory in its guidelines. But you don’t have to travel far from the city to find fishing spots with contamination.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued “do not eat” fish consumption advisories for most fish species on a major portion of the Huron River downstream of North Wixom Road to where the river crosses I-275 in Wayne County due to PFAS concerns.
Local industries, including Tribar Manufacturing, contaminated the river. Tribar has been cited for multiple violations of Michigan air and water regulations. These restrictions apply to Baseline Lake in Livingston County; Portage Lake, Barton Pond, Geddes Pond, Argo Pond in Washtenaw County; and Ford Lake in Wayne County.
Authorities have issued “do not eat” advisories for multiple fish species in other lakes, including Kent Lake in Oakland County, Gallagher Lake in Livingston County and Belleville Lake in Wayne County. Sunfish on the lower and main branches of the Rouge River are off-limits in Wayne County.
Daniel Brown, a watershed planner for the Huron River Watershed Council, says PFAS is changing how people in and around Detroit eat and catch fish, especially for communities that rely on fish from local rivers for sustenance.
“In most places in Southeast Michigan, people rely on fish as a vital source of nutrition,” Brown says. “And those are typically people who live on the margins. They don’t have really any disposable income. They don’t have a lot of options not to eat fish if they’re going to get the nutrition that fish provide.”
What to do when catching and preparing fish
Anglers should regularly check the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services fish consumption guidelines. These guidelines provide updated information on which fish species and water bodies have high PFAS levels. Adhere to the recommended limits on fish consumption provided by the department.
Some fish species tend to accumulate fewer PFAS. Opt for fish known to have lower PFAS levels, such as rainbow trout and sunfish. Avoid fish that are more likely to be contaminated, such as carp and bass from certain water bodies.
Diversifying your diet is also important. Incorporating a variety of protein sources, reducing the frequency of fish consumption, and including other healthy sources of proteins and fats like poultry, beans, oils, seeds and nuts can help limit your overall PFAS intake.
PFAS exposure from the air
What to know: PFAS also lurk in the air, where they are carried to the ground via rain. Researchers have found the compounds across the Great Lakes and in remote areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Ecology Center sampled rainwater in October 2023 in Southwest Detroit, Dearborn and Ann Arbor, and found a range of PFAS compounds, including high levels of the PFAS compound trifluoroacetic acid, a product of common air conditioning refrigerants. The compound is considered an ultra-short-chain PFAS that can cause skin, eye and lung irritation.
Is PFAS air exposure a major concern?
According to Rainer Lohmann, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who studies PFAS in the atmosphere, rain and air is not the exposure pathway most people should be worried about.
“Of all the concerns for PFAS, (air) is not the one I would lose sleep over,” Lohmann says. “For a typical average human, drinking water is roughly 20% of the exposure to PFAS. That leaves 80% left, and most of that is basically through food choices you make.”
Lohmann says dermal uptake from cosmetics, and inhaling indoor air pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds from plastics and consumer products are likely more significant exposure routes than outdoor air.
“Indoor air exposure is much, much worse than outdoor, so I wouldn’t stop breathing in Detroit, and same for any other big city,” Lohmann says.
EGLE has developed health-based standards for PFAS compounds in outdoor air and implemented a PFAS air monitoring study across the state in cooperation with Lohmann. The study found PFAS in the air across dozens of sites, including in Dearborn, Ypsilanti, Detroit and Port Huron.
Very little official guidance exists about protecting yourself from PFAS in the air. Strategies like increasing indoor air circulation, using an air filter and avoiding tracking dirt and dust indoors may help.
What consumer products contain PFAS?
What to know: PFAS are widely used in consumer products for their water- and grease-resistant properties. They are found in items like nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging and some cosmetics. Dust particles and vapors from consumer products like cosmetics, cleaning products, and carpets and clothing made to resist stains and water can contaminate indoor air.
Avoiding PFAS products
Since PFAS are everywhere, you may not be able to completely avoid them in consumer products. With some vigilance, you may be able to reduce your exposure. Look for labels that indicate products are PFAS-free.
Many manufacturers now offer alternatives in categories such as cookware, clothing and cosmetics. Read labels and research products. Avoid items that do not clearly state they are free of PFAS or related chemicals. Support companies and brands that are committed to eliminating PFAS from their products. Encourage others to do the same and promote consumer awareness.
Beyond these individual actions, consumers can advocate for laws to remove PFAS from consumer products. In addition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ban on PFAS in food packaging, more states are taking action to ban PFAS in various consumer products. In April, Michigan lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban PFAS compounds in household products and firefighting foam.
Britny Cordera contributed to this story.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that removing fat and skin from fish could help reduce PFAS exposure. This is true for some contaminants, like PCBs. However, research finds that PFAS is absorbed in all tissues in fish, and cooking fish does not remove PFAS. Limiting consumption and following fish advisories is the best way to reduce exposure from fish.
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