PFAS

Michigan health officials have updated their guidelines on toxic "forever chemicals" in fish, tripling the number of lakes and rivers, where anglers are advised to not eat their catch.

Michigan recently surpassed 300 known sites with PFAS contamination. As more sites are identified and researchers continue to learn about the health impacts, we’re here to answer YOUR questions.

Roughly 400 homes can decide to connect to the main in the first phase of the project. The township plans to eventually extend the line out to Lake Margrethe — reaching up to 1,000 households affected by PFAS plumes largely from Camp Grayling.

WCMU’s David Nicholas spoke with environmental reporter Teresa Homsi about state testing and what people need to know if their community becomes a "place of interest."

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates up to 95 million people could be drinking groundwater with detectable levels of PFAS, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

Calls for urgency aren't new among Oscoda residents, but a revised timeline that pushes PFAS systems on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base back by roughly two years is catching flack.

In the 2010s, the town of Oscoda, Michigan discovered that parts of the Au Sable River, groundwater, and private wells were contaminated with a chemical known as PFAS. While the town is currently thriving with tourists in the summer, the place originally saw a loss of profits and tourism when the initial contamination was announced.

Natural foam is usually off-white and has an earthy smell, but some foam — that’s artificially white — contains toxic “forever chemicals” on the beaches of Oscoda.

Biosolids are a cheap, nutrient-rich fertilizer that have been applied on millions of acres of farmland across the country, but toxic “forever chemicals” are creeping their way into the fertilizer. A proposed federal provision aims to better protect farmers from PFAS contamination.

The National Science Foundation has given a Marquette, Michigan company a grant to research whether some types of fungi can break down or otherwise destroy PFAS.