Anglers in southwestern Michigan need to reel in their plans for a fish fry, as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has laid down a strict "Do Not Eat" decree for all fish species pulled from four local waters. The advisory, echoing concerns about elevated levels of the unpalatable chemical perfluorooctane sulfonate in fish fillets, applies to select spots known for their aquatic bounty; namely, Hopewell Indian Mounds Pond, Luvis and Porter Lakes in Grandville, as well as Spelman Lake at the Wyoming Clean Water Plant, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, donning the hat of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive, asserted with no small concern that "We recommend that no one eat fish listed as Do Not Eat, regardless of age or health," as spotted in black and white on Michigan's official health department website. Highlighting perfluorooctane sulfonate as the unsavory guest infiltrating local fish musculature, the health department is sounding the alarm on possible future health woes for those who might ignore the advisory and the chemical is not something to trifle with; it clings to fish muscle, refusing to be trimmed away and exposing diners to a smorgasbord of health risks like thyroid disruption, compromised immune systems, and not-so-heart-healthy cholesterol surges.
The fishing fiasco unfolds with perfluorooctane sulfonate readings in the fish fillets varying broadly, from a worrying 74.4 to a distressing 514.3 parts per billion, tipping well over the 49.6 ppb threshold that triggers a "Do Not Eat" flag from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. All of these figures, and the methods behind the madness as well, can be fished out from the depth of the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program guidance document, meant to be the compass guiding Michiganders through safe fish consumption. If you live in Michigan, be sure to check Michigan.gov/EatSafeFish or call 800-648-6942 for the latest information.
