State health officials have updated their Eat Safe Fish Guides, which advise Michigan residents on consuming fish with lower pollutant levels.
Recent studies have highlighted that PFOS, a type of PFAS chemical, is more harmful than previously understood. This has led to numerous new and stricter advisories in Michigan’s fish consumption guides, impacting various fish species and water bodies.
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In response, the department has significantly reduced the PFOS exposure level considered safe, from 14 nanograms per kilogram to 2.89 nanograms per kilogram.
The 2025 Eat Safe Fish Guide reflects these changes, with 305 advisories becoming more stringent and 277 new ones introduced.
For instance, due to PFOS levels, it’s recommended to limit bluegill consumption from Oakland County’s Long Lake to four servings a month, and yellow perch from St. Clair County’s Belle River to two servings.
There are methods of preparing fish to reduce the contaminants in a meal, the state health department said. Trimming away fat and organs or grilling or broiling fish can reduce the amount of some chemicals that are stored in fat.
But that doesn’t work for PFOS or mercury, since those contaminants are stored in the filet, according to Michigan’s fish consumption guide.
The recommendations in Michigan’s Eat Safe Fish guide are based on the levels of chemicals state scientists find in fish filets. The recommendations aren’t laws, just advice for avoiding dangerous levels of pollutants in locally caught fish.
“There are many health benefits to eating fish and the Eat Safe Fish Guides provide consumption recommendations based on the levels of certain chemicals found in fish in waterbodies across the state,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Michigan families can use these guidelines to help make healthy choices about the fish they eat.”