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PFAS in Foam on the Huron River Water Trail

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As the emerging threat of PFAS has unfolded across Michigan and on the Huron River, it’s raised concerns about recreation.

Swimming, bathing, and boating on the Huron River Water Trail are still okay. For those activities, continue to enjoy the water as you have with a few minor precautions. PFAS isn’t

Foam that possibly contains PFAS

Photo of foam from 2013 that possibly contains PFAS, near Barton Dam, Ann Arbor, by Rebecca Foster.

a health risk when exposed to skin. The risk is that high levels of PFAS in foam can get on your hands and clothes and eventually make it into your mouth or nose. It’s a health risk when ingested over time, so accidental mouthfuls of river water are no cause for concern. The State of Michigan has issued a Do Not Eat Fish advisory for the Huron River and an advisory to avoid ingesting river foam.

PFAS tends to concentrate in foam and can lead to foam forming on the river, but foam is also naturally occurring. State experts and resources describe PFAS foam as bright white, sticky, lightweight, and that it tends to pile up near the water’s edge. Other harmless substances can create similar foam, however, and there’s really no practical way to know how much PFAS is in any glob of foam just by looking at it. It’s best to play it safe and treat all foam on the river as potentially containing high levels of PFAS. If you find foam you suspect is not naturally occurring, call the state’s 24-hour pollution hotline at (800) 292-4706.

Enjoy the River While Protecting Yourself from PFAS Foam

  • Have fun swimming and boating on the river away from foam. Skin contact with river water or foam isn’t a concern.  Accidental mouthfuls of river water or no cause for alarm.
  • Avoid foam on the Huron River or connected lakes and creeks. Avoid touching foam and make sure to keep pets and kids away from foam. PFAS tends to concentrate in foam.
  • Foam naturally occurs on rivers and PFAS tends to concentrate in foam, but there’s no way to know how much PFAS is in any glob of foam just by looking at it. It’s best to play it safe and treat all foam on the river as potentially containing high levels of PFAS.
  • Although it feels nice on a hot summer day, don’t linger in the spray immediately below dams. It may be possible to inhale PFAS attached to foam spray.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water and rinse off once you get home from paddling or swimming in the river.
  • Rinse off pets if they made contact with foam or foamy water. Rinsing off in the same river or lake where foam isn’t present is okay.

For more information on PFAS in the Huron River watershed, visit the Huron River Watershed Council’s webpage at HRWC.org/PFAS.

 

PFAS in Fish on the Huron River

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Don’t eat fish from the Huron River. The State of Michigan has tested fish from multiple location on the Huron River and found high levels of PFAS. The Michigan Department of Health

PFAS Do Not Eat the Fish Sign at Baseline Lake

PFAS Do Not Eat the Fish Sign at Baseline Lake by Daniel Brown

and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a Do Not Eat Fish Advisory for the entire river. Because fish are mobile, the Huron River Watershed Council advises you to avoid eating fish for the river or any connected lake or creek.

PFAS accumulates in fish meat. That makes it different than previous contaminants that accumulated in fat that could be safely scraped away from the filet.

The Do Not Eat Fish Advisory for the Huron River upriver from Ypsilanti will likely continue for the foreseeable future. The advisory may be lifted sooner in areas downriver. The levels of PFAS found in the waters of Kent Lake and its fish were especially high. Lakes and river sections from Island Lake State Recreation Area to Milford will likely see the advisory remain in place longer than elsewhere.

Other recreational activities, like swimming and kayaking on the river are okay. You can read about how to protect yourself from PFAS while enjoying the river HERE.

The Huron River Watershed Council is monitoring developments regarding PFAS in the river and regularly updates the webpage at HRWC.org/PFAS.

 

PFAS and Recreation on the Huron River

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This blog was originally posted in April 2019. Our understanding of the PFAS crisis has improved significantly since then, and we’re updating this post for 2023.

As the the extent of PFAS contamination around the globe has become apparent, it’s raised concerns about recreation. The Huron River was one of the first rivers in Michigan widely known to be contaminated by PFAS. Thanks to remediation efforts, PFAS levels in surface river water have fallen by about 99% compared to where they were in 2018. As long as we take some basic precautions, we can continue to enjoy the river as we have in the past.

Swimming, Paddling, and Boating Is Okay

Swimmers at Baseline Lake

Swimmers at Baseline Lake in Dexter.

At the levels of PFAS contamination found in the river, the best available science tells us that regular swimming in the river is okay and that we can continue to enjoy the river as we have. PFAS is a health risk when ingested over time, or with repeated exposures to very high levels, such as what workers in industrial environments might encounter.

Avoid Foam

PFAS concentrates in foam at levels much higher than in non-foamy water. Agitated PFAS may cause “PFAS foam” which resembles smooth, creamy, sticky foam, but PFAS can also concentrate in naturally-occurring foam, so it’s best to assume that all foam on the river contains elevated levels of PFAS.

If you do make contact with foam, don’t panic. Simply rinse off with non-foamy river water and wash up with soap when you can.

Take care to keep pets and young kids away from foam, as they may touch foam and accidentally ingest it. If that happens, there is no immediate health concern due to PFAS. The concern is repeated exposure over long periods of time, but it’s best to avoid exposure to foam when possible.

Foam also tends to form below dams, and there is some concern about PFAS in spray droplets that people may inhale. For those reasons, it’s best not to linger in areas below dams.

Do Not Eat Fish on the Huron River

The State of Michigan has issued a Do Not Eat Fish Advisory for most of the Huron River. We expect the advisory will remain in place for several years. Anglers should not eat any fish from the Huron River or the connected waterways for the foreseeable future above I-275. Below I-275 in the lowest section of the Huron River, the state guidelines suggest some consumption of fish is safe. Consult the Eat Safe Fish Guides to protect yourself from PFAS and other contaminants in fish.

Note that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is currently reevaluating their guidelines, which are based on old information. Several lines of recent scientific evidence have demonstrated that PFAS are more toxic and widespread in fish than previously thought. The Huron River Watershed Council recommends exercising additional caution and to avoid consuming fish from the Huron River until updated guidance becomes available.

The Huron River Watershed council recently partnered with the Ecology Center and Friends of the Rouge to sample fish in two watersheds. Every single fish sampled in that study contained PFAS, regardless of the species and where they were caught. Read the summary here.

Conditions in the Huron River Improving Amidst a Global Problem

We now know that PFAS are far more toxic and far more pervasive around the world than previously thought. What was once described as an emerging crisis in 2018 is now understood to be long-term global problem.

That said, conditions on the Huron River have improved. As we head into the 2023 paddling season, PFAS levels in the river are significantly lower than they were four years ago. Several sources of the PFAS to the river have been identified and addressed, and the levels of PFAS found in sampled fish is lower than what was found in 2018 and 2019. The Huron River Watershed Council is working with state and local partners to address additional sources, reduce contamination to the river, and inform paddlers on the Water Trail.

Visit HRWC.org/PFAS for more information.