A new report from the Environment Michigan Research & Policy Center found that out of 19 waterways tested in Michigan between 2022 and 2024, 79% were contaminated by PFAS.
PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are a kind of synthetic chemical that breaks down slowly. There are thousands of these kinds of chemicals, and they are used in a variety of consumer and industrial products, including non-stick cookware and firefighter foam.
In the Upper Peninsula, 11 waterways were found to be contaminated, including the Tahquamenon River. In Traverse City, Mitchell Creek was tested, and no PFAS was found. Two Detroit Rivers — Ecorse River and Rouge River — were also tested and found to be contaminated.
Calvin Floyd is a conservation advocate for Environment Michigan Research and Policy Center. He says the new report is just the tip of the iceberg.
"The sources we use do not include all PFAS testing data in Michigan, and many waterways in Michigan haven't been tested at all," Floyd said.
The state of Michigan has been tracking PFAS contamination since 2017, when they formed the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART).
The new report found 20 different PFAS compounds in Michigan's waterways. Floyd says this shows the extent of the PFAS problem in Michigan.
"It shows that it's not just coming from one particular source, but it could be coming from a handful of different sources," Floyd said.
There is a lot not yet fully understood about PFAS, according to the EPA, including the extent of the effects on human health.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says there's evidence of associations with some cancers, developmental complications and immune system suppression.
"No amount of ingestion of PFAS is safe," Floyd said, "And so taking the necessary steps to ensure that you aren't ingesting PFAS, whether that's in your drinking water or in the fish that you're catching and consuming."
The PFAS in America's Rivers and Lakes study by Environment America analyzed federal, state, and non-profit testing data from 1,602 waterways across the country. They found that 83% had PFAS contamination.
The Michigan data was drawn from the Environmental Protection Agency's national Water Quality Portal and data from local waterkeepers.
