Addressing PFAS levels in local lakes

Sabrina Ullman WDIO

Updated Fish Consumption Guidelines in Minnesota Address PFAS Concerns

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has updated its fish consumption guidelines in response to public health concerns regarding PFAS contamination in local water bodies. These guidelines particularly target communities with higher PFAS levels than the fish themselves. Initially, an advisory issued in 2021 regarding smelt caught in Lake Superior used preliminary data from the Wisconsin DNR. A recent study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which involved over 150 smelt samples from various North Shore locations, confirmed the presence of PFAS, albeit at lower levels than previously reported. As a result of the new findings, the MDH now recommends that people may consume smelt up to one serving a week rather than limiting it to one meal a month. However, sensitive groups, including pregnant individuals, breastfeeding women, and children under 15, are advised against consuming fish from specific contaminated water bodies such as Miller Creek, Fish Lake Flourish, and Wild Rice Lake. MDH has established these recommendations in light of the historical contamination of these lakes, largely attributed to PFAS products used near the Duluth International Airport and the old closed landfill in Duluth. St. Louis County officials are actively working to mitigate this issue through a canyon landfill project aimed at preventing PFAS leachate from entering the environment. This lined facility will be equipped to treat water effectively, thereby reducing PFAS from one source into local waterways and fish populations. MDH emphasizes that fish consumption is not the sole pathway for PFAS exposure, as household and personal care products also contribute to contamination. The state has been proactive in eliminating PFAS from various products, which is expected to have long-term benefits for fish consumers in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Fishing Opener is less than two weeks away, but there are new fish consumption guidelines to be aware of before hitting the water.

State agencies collect data on three types of fish contaminants: mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The Minnesota Department of Health then uses this data to update guidelines from a public health perspective. Angela Preimesberger is part of the MDH Fish Consumption Program and says most of the updates are related to elevated levels of PFAS, but are also protective for exposure to mercury and PCBs.

“These fish consumption guidelines are something our health department has been putting out since the 1970s,” said Preimesberger. “We are always trying to get the information out to the public in the best way we can.”

There was an advisory issued in 2021 to avoid eating more than one serving of rainbow smelt from Lake Superior a month. This was based on a preliminary study by the Wisconsin DNR. More recently, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has done a larger study, collecting over 150 smelt samples on the North Shore.

“This newer study gave us a really great look at the PFAS information that’s available, and we could improve the guidelines. So we’re saying now we can recommend that people eat up to one serving a week of these fish,” said Preimesberger.

Although the updated guidelines include good news for Lake Superior smelters, other lakes now require more caution. MDH is now advising those in sensitive groups not to eat fish from Miller Creek, Fish Lake Flourish, or Wild Rice Lake.

“We are recommending that people who are or may become pregnant and people who are breastfeeding or may breastfeed, and children under age 15, we all consider sensitive populations for contaminant exposure, not eat fish from these water bodies now,” explained Preimesberger. “These PFAS contaminants can affect developmental effects from low birth weight to reduced immune effects in children, and they can also lead to liver damage and can increase the risk for some cancers in adults. This newer data provides a better understanding of the toxicity of these chemicals. It was prudent to lower the guidelines and recommend that sensitive populations not eat fish from these waters.”

Those not in a sensitive group are advised to limit their consumption to one serving a month from these three lakes. But how did PFAS get into these waterways?

“A number of years ago, it was determined that there is a location near the Duluth International Airport where PFAS products had been used and contaminated the groundwater and some surface water systems, particularly Miller Creek,” said Preimesberger.

Keith Nelson, the St. Louis County Commissioner of District 6, points to another source.

“It certainly is closely related to the old closed Duluth landfill. And the streams in both directions, both north and south, from that immediate area are affected,” said Nelson.

Nelson has been vocal about PFAS in local waterways since he first learned about the issue nine years ago.

“Look, when we’re saying that no one should eat fish that’s in a sensitive group from those, from that chain of lakes or from that stream, this is Northeastern Minnesota. We’re pretty proud of our fishing heritage. We’re pretty proud of our environmental heritage. To have that there, we need to do something about that. And we’re working, St. Louis County and the St. Louis County Board are working very hard to do something about it,” said Nelson.

The county hopes its Canyon project will help reduce the amount of PFAS coming from landfill leachate.

“Well, what we need to do on all of our dumps, our region’s dumps- which there are 190 plus of them- What we’re talking about is putting them into a line facility at the Canyon facility. It would be lined to the extent that it would be completely protected from ever permeating into the environment again. And as a lined landfill, it would also have water treatment. So any water coming out of that landfill would go through our ROR, Reverse Osmosis System, and come out of that landfill actually cleaner than the rainwater that falls on top of the landfill,” explained Nelson.

St. Louis County is currently waiting on the state legislature to decide on a $6 million bonding bill for phase two of the Canyon project. This is a continuation of work started at the Virginia landfill.

“We’ve made a commitment at the Virginia facility. That building is going up. Our landfill up there, of course, is already fully lined with the best material you can line a landfill with,” said Nelson. “We’re working to have a situation where, again, all of the water coming out of that landfill will be completely treated.”

This will help prevent PFAS from one source from entering our waterways and eventually the fish we eat. MDH wants to emphasize that fish are not the only route of exposure.

“We do know that household products, personal care products, and other environmental exposures exist in our homes and our environment,” said Preimesberger. “The state’s been very aggressive about getting PFAS out of products, and that’s gonna be what really benefits our fish consumers too in the long run.”

More information on protecting yourself from PFAS at home can be found at this link.