Forever chemicals detected in fish near Detroit and around Great Lakes, maps shows
(FOX 2) - There were very few freshwater locations in the U.S. untouched by high rates of forever chemicals found in the fish species that call those spots home.
From California to North Carolina, Texas to Montana and everywhere in between, rates of PFAS chemicals were detected at several thousand parts per trillion in species of carp, catfish, bass, and walleye.
No where is the presence of the persistent chemicals more evident than in the Great Lakes.
Consuming a single fish from a U.S. lake or river is the equivalent of drinking water contaminated with a months-worth of forever chemicals, researchers declared after reviewing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
That has big implications for the fishery industry in the Great Lakes due to advisories from Michigan and other states warning to not consume multiple servings of specific fish species.
A map of forever chemicals detection in the Great Lakes reveals samples caught in the Detroit River, the southern opening of the St. Clair River, the Black River at the north opening, and multiple spots of Lake Erie all came back positive for dangerous amounts of PFAS.
And that's just in Southeast Michigan.
Fish samples collected in Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and the Muskegon River, as well as dozens of spots along the Lake Superior coastline in the Upper Peninsula all came back positive for various forms of forever chemicals.
The interactive map can be viewed here.
According to the consumption guidelines put out by the state of Michigan, the health department advises against eating several species of fish found in bodies of water in Wayne County, including the Rouge River and Huron River.
Fish caught in Long Lake, Proud Lake and Cass Lake in Oakland County, as well as in Moraine Lake and Whitemore Lake in Livingston County should also be consumed sparingly.