Health department issues new warning about eating fish from some Minnesota lakes with ‘forever chemicals’

The Minnesota Department of Health has updated its advice on how much fish is safe to eat from certain lakes with so-called “forever chemicals.”

The changes to the fish consumption guidelines affect about 44 water bodies in 10 counties, in both the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of human-made chemicals widely used for decades in consumer products to resist water, stains and grease. They accumulate in a person’s body over time, and some have been linked to health concerns, including low birth weight, liver and thyroid disease and increased cancer risk.

For some lakes, health officials advise everyone to avoid eating all or certain types of fish. For other lakes, they advise sensitive groups, such as pregnant women, to limit how many servings they eat of some species.

According to the new guidelines, no one should eat any fish caught in Minnesota River Valley ponds or in Long Meadow Lake in Hennepin County.

People also should avoid eating bass caught in Mooney Lake in Hennepin County, walleye from George Lake in Martin County, and yellow perch and common carp from Otter Lake, McCuen Creek, Bear Creek and the south fork of the Crow River in McCleod and Carver counties.

The updated guidelines are based on new data analysis, plus more stringent thresholds for PFAS, said Angela Preimesberger, who leads the health department’s fish consumption guidance program.

“It’s really important that people understand that our guidelines are affected by where you’re fishing and who you are, and that we have different guidelines for people that are in sensitive populations,” Preimesberger said. Those include people who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding and children under 15, who are more susceptible to the chemicals’ toxicity.

The health department works with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources to gather data on contaminants in lakes and rivers. The agency has been issuing fish consumption guidelines since 1974 and added PFAS in 2004.

The first fish consumption guidelines for PFAS were for Lake Elmo and other Twin Cities metro water bodies. 3M manufactured two well-known PFAS chemicals for decades in the east metro, where they contaminated the groundwater and some lakes and rivers.

As state agencies have gathered data, they’ve found more water bodies outside of the Twin Cities affected by industrial pollution, disposal sites, wastewater or past use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, Preimesberger said.

“They’re just exceeding these thresholds that we're using at lower levels to be more protective for people that are eating fish,” she said.

Health officials did ease restrictions on one species: They now say it’s OK to eat up to one serving per week of smelt caught from Lake Superior. The previous recommendation was once per month.

Experts say there are many health benefits to consuming fish, either from lakes or grocery stores, as part of a well-balanced diet. Preimesberger said consumers should be informed and use a balanced approach.

“There’s many fish in our stores that have low contaminant levels and really high in omega 3 fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients for your health that other animal proteins do not provide,” she said.

To find fish consumption guidelines for specific Minnesota lakes, go to the DNR’s LakeFinder.

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