See foam in the water? Michigan health department wants you to avoid it

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Due to the abundance of forever chemicals in the local environment, the health department is asking anyone recreating in Michigan lakes and rivers to avoid contact with foam.

While foam can naturally accumulate in water bodies, traces of PFAS and other chemicals with known and associated health risks have been detected in some of those bubbles. 

With the holidays around the corner and summer kicking into gear in the Great Lakes, more people will be venturing to water bodies. Potential contact with contaminants prompted the health department's recommendation.

"If you come in contact with any foam, MDHHS recommends you rinse off or bathe as soon as possible," a release read. 

While the short term risks with exposure to PFAS arent' as severe, long term exposure has been associated with liver damage and thyroid disease. The persistence of the chemicals has prompted both scientific intervention into its removal as well as recommendations for avoiding it.

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"We advise you to avoid contact with foam if you can, but if you accidentally come into contact with foam, you should rinse off as soon as possible," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. "Rinsing off in general after water activities is always a good idea."

The same warning goes for animals.