Read the full article by Shamane Mills (Wisconsin Public Radio)

“So-called ‘forever chemicals’ found in fish from two Madison-area bodies of water have prompted a new health advisory from state health and natural resource officials.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have been found in all fish sampled from Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek. Specifically, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, was detected at levels that have prompted a change in how often people should eat five species of fish.

‘We advise that consumers limit their exposure to pollutants by eating no more than one meal per month of large mouth bass, northern pike, walleye and yellow perch. For bluegill caught in either water body we are advising consumers to limit their consumption to no more than one meal per week,’ Mark Werner with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters about fish from these two bodies of water…

The highest concentration of PFOS was foundin a stream on the southeast side of the Dane County airport, according to state Department of Natural Resources. Concentrations of the chemicals were lower in areas where fish were taken from Lake Monona, which is to be expected, officials said, as water moves north to south through the watershed.

Starkweather Creek begins near the Dane County airport and feeds into Lake Monona.

‘Because fish move in response to water temperature and food availability, it is unknown how long the fish caught in Starkweather Creek had resided there,’ said Darsi Foss, Environmental Management Division administrator with the DNR. ‘Based on the fish tissue samples, we worked with state health officials to determine if existing fish advisory for Starkweather Creek and Lake Monona was still protective’…

The latest testing was done in October at the two Dane County bodies of water. Previous testing was done across the state near known or suspected PFAS contamination sites including airports, fire training locations and some municipal wells…  

The revised fish consumption advice comes on the same day as the DNR held a public listening session on PFAS in Marinette. PFAS have been found there along with Madison and other parts of the state…”