Health officials issue hundreds of new warnings for commonly consumed meat: 'These new guidelines will help protect people'

Michigan officials have had to update their advice regarding consuming the state's wild fish after new findings about the toxicity level of a contaminant found in fish, The Detroit News reported.

What's happening?

PFOS is a type of PFAS, or "forever chemical," a toxin that doesn't naturally break down in the environment or the body for hundreds of years. It builds up over time, causing serious health issues.

Sadly, these chemicals are useful to manufacturers for their non-stick and fire-retardant properties, so they're used in a wide variety of products and manufacturing processes. 

This leads to a lot of environmental contamination — especially in water and the sediment underneath it, from which it easily transfers to the fish that ordinary people catch and eat.

Unfortunately, the full extent of PFOS's impact was not initially known, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services formerly considered 14 nanograms of PFOS per kilogram to be a protective dose. 

Public health and safety officials do their best to keep everyday Americans safe from chemicals and other environmental pollution. Unfortunately, their guidelines are only as good as the information they are given. 

Now, with updated data, the department has reduced its recommended exposure by almost 80% to 2.89 nanograms. 

Why is limiting PFAS exposure important?

Different PFAS are connected to a wide range of health problems, from fertility issues to cancers. In the case of PFOS, human studies and lab testing in animals shows that even low levels are linked to damaged immune systems.

Fish throughout Michigan have levels of PFOS high enough to potentially cause harm, especially if eaten too often. 

"I personally don't eat a lot of fish for that reason," said Brittanie Dabney, Wayne State University Ph.D. candidate, per The Detroit News. "I tend to stay away from fish or follow the advisories."

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What's being done about PFOS in Michigan's fish?

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services tightened 305 existing warnings and created 277 new ones detailing which fish from which bodies of water are safe to eat in what quantities, which it published in its Eat Safe Fish Guides.

"This is a major win for public health and a long-overdue acknowledgment of the science on PFAS," said Great Lakes PFAS Action Network co-chair Tony Spaniola, per The Detroit News.

"These new guidelines will help protect people across Michigan — especially in frontline communities that rely on fish as a food source."

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