Beware of fish in lakes and rivers, they contain PFAS. That’s more or less the warning issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Health Services (DHS), who have issued a new warning to limit fish consumption.
Based on the results of the latest sampling, the DNR and DHS are urging people to limit fishing from the rivers and lakes of Dane and Rock counties as much as possible. These waters include Wingra Creek, Starkweather Creek, Lake Monona, Lake Waubesa, Upper and Lower Mud Lakes, Lake Kegonsa, and the Yahara River downstream to where it meets the Rock River.
Specifically, the two state agencies recommend no more than one feeding per month for crappie, largemouth bass, trout, northern pike, and walleye from those waters. However, for other species, consumption is limited to once a week. Samples showed high levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, in various fish collected from Lakes Monona, Kegonsa, and Waubesa. The chemical is one of the most studied PFASs and is known to accumulate most in some species. Average PFOS levels in fish ranged from 16.9 parts per billion to 72.4 parts per billion, according to data provided by the DNR. Some fish, such as largemouth bass, had maximum concentrations of up to 180 parts per billion.
Recall that PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used in many products for decades, including nonstick cookware, fast food wrappers, food containers, plastic tableware, stain-resistant sprays, and some firefighting foams. These contaminants have entered the environment in a variety of ways, including spills of PFAS-containing materials, PFAS-containing wastewater at treatment plants, and the use of some firefighting foams. The DNR explains that
SCIENTISTS ARE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE HEALTH EFFECTS. A LARGE NUMBER OF HUMAN STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PFAS LEVELS IN BLOOD AND ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES ANALYZE ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF CHEMICALS, AND NOT ALL PFAS HAVE THE SAME EFFECT. THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT HIGH LEVELS OF CERTAIN PFAS CAN INCREASE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS, REDUCE VACCINATION RESPONSES, AND REDUCE FERTILITY IN WOMEN, AMONG OTHERS.
Sampling surface water and fish from the Yahara Range is part of a broader DNR initiative to better understand PFAS in the environment across Wisconsin.
In 2019, surface water samples were collected from Starkweather Creek and Lake Monona, both of which were contaminated with the chemicals. Fish tissue samples also taken from Starkweather Creek and Lake Monona showed elevated levels of PFOS, leading to a consumption warning issued by the DNR and DHS as early as a year ago in February 2020 for fish caught in those areas.
Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. This is why the state of Wisconsin is stepping up its monitoring. $20 million has been allocated for PFAS monitoring and testing, but also to provide support and resources to local communities affected by this frightening contamination.
Read our articles on PFAS
References: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Health Services
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