Warning issued on PFOS in some fish from Michigan lakes

State health department issues warning about eating smelt and carp

The department of health released some updated Eat Safe Fish guidelines, limiting how much people should eat of specifically, locally caught fish.

FOX 2 (WJBK) - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has an important warning about eating fish from our state's lakes - specifically rainbow smelt and carp.

"Normally we wait until around the spring to issue a full update to our guides, but with the data we had in hand, we saw that there were some advisories, some guidelines that we want to make sure we got it out sooner than waiting until April," said Brandon Reid.

The department of health released some updated "Eat Safe Fish" guidelines, limiting how much people should eat of specifically, locally caught fish.

"We want it to be a resource that people can defer to when they balance the benefits of eating fish, of which there are many, and the potential risks when those fish have contaminants in them," Reid said.

Take smelt for instance, Reid says data shows concerning high levels of PFOS, a chemical that could cause some serious health issues.

"And the data supported this that PFOS is the one that is most of a concern in that family in fish," Reid said. "It is the most bioaccumulative. It stays in the fish the longest, so we based our guidelines off that specific chemical."

Because of this, rainbow smelt recommendations differ depending on the lake, experts say.

Six servings per yer from Lake Huron
One per month from Lake Michigan
One per month from Portage Lake
Two per month from Gull Lake
Four per month from Higgins Lake

"You don’t usually see a lot of mercury in smelt, usually they’re pretty low in other chemicals too," Reid said. "But this has been a change for smelt."

As for carp, specifically in Thompson Lake, Reid has a specific warning.

"For people who are particularly sensitive to chemicals, we would say to avoid those fish completely," he said.

This includes anyone 15 and under, those with existing health conditions, and those expecting and/or breastfeeding.

More: Michigan safe fish guidelines: How much fish you should eat in a month

Local nutritionist Krista Sauvi says these updates are important - especially when it comes to keeping people safe as they try to make healthier choices.

"Be really careful about where you’re buying your product from, and read the label when in doubt," said Sauvi. "You want to look for things that contain mercury or could contain mercury, that’s going to make it unhealthy for consumption."