PFOS

Minnesota's 2026 water quality assessment identified 37 new mercury-impaired water bodies and 75 new wild rice protection sites, primarily in southern Minnesota. The report highlights mercury and PFOS as key pollutants, with efforts underway to address impairments and protect wild rice through sulfate level monitoring.

New research from the University of Notre Dame reveals how PFAS chemicals accumulate in the Great Lakes ecosystem, increasing in concentration as they move up the food chain. The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, found a decline in PFOS levels in lower lakes but not in the upper lakes, highlighting the persistence of these 'forever chemicals' in the environment.

A University of Notre Dame study analyzed 42 years of data to track PFAS chemicals in the Great Lakes food web, finding lower concentrations in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior compared to Ontario and Erie. The study noted a decline in PFOS levels over two decades following its industry phase-out but highlighted bioaccumulation in predators like salmon and eagles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes to rescind enforceable health standards for four PFAS chemicals, including GenX, and delay compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS by two years. The EPA claims the Biden administration violated the Safe Water Drinking Act, while critics call the move a 'PR stunt' and express concern over public health risks.