Chemicals

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PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which the Ecology Center describes as “a class of thousands of toxic chemicals widely used in manufacturing and consumer products.”

PFAS is used to make products resistant to water, oil and stains. However, the danger of PFAS is that it does not break down in the environment, meaning that PFAS pollution in bodies of water leads to contamination of fish, which is especially dangerous for subsistence anglers who consume what they catch. PFAS chemicals are linked to certain types of cancers, reproductive issues and reduced vaccine effectiveness.

Using a community-based science model, the project approached six anglers who went through a training session to learn how to properly package the fish they caught without contaminating the samples. The anglers took part in designing the research questions, collecting samples, processing the fish, and discussing the results and education strategies for fellow anglers.

From April to June, the anglers were given a choice of 15 locations to fish around the Rouge River and Huron River. Over 100 fish of 12 different species — such as bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass and catfish — were tested for 40 different PFAS chemicals. The fish were put into a freezer and transported to Envirolab in Oscoda, Michigan, where they were blended together so that scientists could test the entire fish, rather than just the fillet, which was the previous protocol used in 2018 when the Huron River was contaminated by a chrome plating facility that manufactures shiny coatings on car parts.

The results were devastating.

PFAS chemicals were found in every single fish tested from both rivers.

Fourteen different types of PFAS chemicals were detected in the study, with each fish containing at least one of the 14 chemicals.

Of these 14 chemicals, only two are regulated in Michigan. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, is one of the few regulated PFAS chemicals widely found because it doesn’t break down. PFOS was found in 58% of the Huron fish and in 46% of the Rouge fish. The range of PFAS found in the whole fish was 11 to 59 parts per billion (nine fish) in the Rouge River and 12 to 133 parts per billion (11 fish) in the Huron River. The estimated highest filet concentrations were 47 ppb for the Huron and 12 ppb for the Rouge.

Though these results yielded lower levels of PFAS in Huron River fish than in the 2018 testing, these levels are above what the state of Michigan advises, limiting consumption to two Huron and 12 Rouge meals per month. Currently, the state has issued a “Do Not Eat” advisory if PFOS is found at greater than 300 ppb in fish.

“We got this survey started, and halfway through, the Health Department issued a ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory because we found some really high levels,” said Sally Petrella, the monitoring manager at Friends of the Rouge who worked closely on the study. “It really hit home for me that we had these anglers out here collecting fish to be tested, and we’re already getting a fish consumption advisory showing us how important it is to be collecting this information and understand how deep the problem is so we can work to fix it.”

Petrella stated that the EPA recently proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard, the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which would require the public water systems to monitor, notify the public of the levels and reduce the levels in drinking water if they exceed the proposed standards of six types of PFAS:

• perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

• perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).

• perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA).

• hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA).

• perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS).

• perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).

The EPA aims to finalize the regulation by the end of 2023. If fully implemented, the EPA estimates “the rule will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses.”

Another angler involved in the study, Bill Bialkowski, of Dearborn, is a retired accountant who took up fishing as a hobby because it was a way for him to connect with nature and other anglers. Bialkowski found himself involved in the study when he ran into Petrella at the 2022 End of Winter Paddle. He approached Petrella and asked if there were any upcoming projects that he’d be able to participate in. A few weeks later, she contacted him about the upcoming PFAS study seeking local anglers to participate.

“I quite enjoyed it, because I fish for fun anyways,” Bialkowski said. “He explained that throughout the study, he began to read up on PFAS chemicals so that he could educate anyone who asked him about his involvement in the study.

“I’m not any kind of a true scientist, but this role as ‘Citizen Scientist,’ I really liked it, and it’s become one of my hobbies starting this year.”

Bialkowski stated that he is eager to participate in the Friends of the Rouge’s upcoming Frog and Toad Survey, which takes place from March through July.

For the Rouge River, PFAS testing had been limited up until this point, and prior to this study, PFAS levels in fish were not high enough to warrant any fish consumption advisories.

However, as Petrella mentioned, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued an advisory for certain fish, such as bluegill and sunfish, due to the See CHEMICALS on page 21A

“I believe we’re going to implement a scheduling thing to help alleviate any problems with scheduling,” Clarke said.

According to Clarke, the tennis courts have been falling into disrepair.

He estimated that it will cost $38,000 to fix the courts, repaint them and put in the four pickleball courts, with the money expected to come from the city’s general fund.

The project is expected to be completed this summer.

From Clarke’ perspective, one of the highlights for the city last year was a repaving project that took place at Pontiac Drive and Inverness Street.

He said that one of this year’s goals is to continue repaving. After paying off a previous bond, he believes the city is now in a more flexible position.

“Rather than relying on a bond where we’re going to be having to do a bunch of repaving in a short period of time and repaving all the streets, we can now be more flexible and pay them as needed, which is what we did with this last paving project,” Clarke said. “We had money (and) we were able to get it done quickly.”

Clarke estimated that the paving project at Pontiac Drive and Inverness Street was done within a month.

He said that Sylvan Lake is updating its city streets.

“We have such a strong pedestrianresidential walking community … so that’s good for everyone in the city,” Clarke said.

Clarke said that the Orchard Lake Road corridor, which stretches about a quarter mile in the city, is currently a light industrial zone. However, he thinks that there is a chance to attract some new businesses along the corridor, and he wants the city to be open to opportunities.

“We do see that having possibility for redevelopment into something more commercial,” Clarke said.

Clarke said that the lakes and parks in Sylvan Lake are a “huge” draw, and although he doesn’t expect it in the immediate future, a parks millage could eventually appear on the ballots of Sylvan residents.

Revising the community events application process has also been on the city’s radar.

“We’ve been kind of tweaking that, so that, hopefully, we have more community events in the city,” Clarke said. “The overarching goal is to make the Community Center more community focused (and) less rental focused. … We’ve set aside Thursdays so that people can’t rent the Community Center on Thursdays, and it stays open for community events — and those are like the food trucks, the outdoor concerts and that sort of stuff that we’ve been doing for the past few years.”

Current Sylvan Lake Mayor Jim Cowper described last year as a “wonderful” summer of boating and community life for residents. In an email he lauded the City Council, administrators and police.

As for this year, he noted welcoming businesses to work with the city as Orchard Lake Road is resurfaced.

“It’s a unique area because you’re at such close proximity to so many places, but it has a feeling like you’re almost Up North at a destination cottage from time to time when you’re on the lake and you can zone out of how much we really are in a cityscape,” Clarke said. “The home values are soaring — lot (of) new construction.”

Call Staff Writer Mark Vest at (586) 498-1052.