Q: Muskegon Lake was recently hit with an outbreak of confirmed PFAS foam. It isn’t unusual to see foam on the Huron in the Ann Arbor area. Does that mean that we have a PFAS problem?
A: The Huron has a lot of natural foam, particularly in the spring and fall. Most of it is caused by the breakdown of organic materials or runoff after rain and snowmelt.
“True PFAS foam looks really strange,” observes Daniel Brown, watershed planner at the Huron River Watershed Council. “It’s typically smooth, bright white, folds up on shorelines, and can be sticky. … In some cases, it looks a bit alien or ‘brainy.’
“Normal river foam tends to have brownish bits in it—divots—and looks either chunky or sudsy. That said, all foam on the Huron has elevated PFAS because PFAS concentrates in foam, so we tell people to avoid it all regardless.”
PFAS levels in the Huron have been greatly reduced since an industrial discharge in Wixom in 2018. In addition, “Ann Arbor is now a national leader in drinking water protection from PFAS,” states Brown. However, elevated levels of PFAS are still measured in sections of the Huron, and that is true of many other bodies of water in our area.
Related: Testing the Waters
Peer-reviewed studies have found links between some PFAS chemicals and decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, increased risk of some cancers, reduced immune system function, and interference with the body’s natural hormones. But water is only one of many potential exposure paths: PFAS chemicals have been used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, clothing, and other products. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 97 percent of Americans have PFAS in their blood.
The state warns against eating fish from the Huron. The county’s advice: “It is still safe to swim, boat, and enjoy water recreation—but avoid foam!”
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