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Officials: Don’t swallow the foam on the Thornapple River

Posted at 4:10 PM, Jun 29, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-30 00:22:55-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - If you go swimming in the Thornapple River this steamy weekend, officials are advising you to make sure you don't swallow any of the foam.

The Kent County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued the advisory Friday afternoon.

Officials say that samples taken immediately downstream of the Cascade Dam had high levels of PFAS in the foam that floats on the water.  They don't believe that PFAS enter the body through the skin, so coming into contact with the foam should not a risk.

Anyone with questions can call the MDHHS at 800-648-6742.

The MDHHS also issued "Do Not Eat" advisories for fish caught in ponds near the Boulder Creek Developement on Cannonsburg Road in Belmont, due to elevated levels of PFAS and PFOS.