January 29, 20266:00 am
River Rouge | Susan J. Demas
Detroit’s rivers carry the story of our city, tracing a path from industrial triumph and economic power to the heavy toll of pollution left behind by poorly regulated manufacturing and corporate greed.
Today, one of our most iconic waterways, the Rouge River, faces a quiet but growing threat from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These so-called “forever chemicals” are the source of a serious and rapidly escalating public health crisis in the Detroit area. Our rivers, which are a particularly vulnerable pathway for PFAS, are essential to the health of our city, sustain local ecosystems, and connect us to the entire Great Lakes region.
Thanks to their virtually indestructible qualities, “forever chemicals” have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s and have accumulated in our environment with little oversight for decades. Long-term exposure to these toxins is consistently linked to serious health effects, including cancer, liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced vaccine response, and pregnancy complications.
While the existing federal drinking water standard limits some of these compounds, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to roll back regulations for several harmful PFAS, including PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX, and delay enforcement of new rules for PFOA and PFOS – two of the most dangerous compounds.
The Detroit Riverkeeper recently joined fellow Waterkeepers to investigate PFAS in waterways located in 19 states. The resulting report from Waterkeeper Alliance found one or more types of these dangerous chemicals in 98% of surface water sampling sites, often at levels unsafe for human health. Here in Michigan, we tested the Rouge River, one of the region’s most urbanized waterways whose reach extends far beyond Detroit.
The Rouge winds through densely populated Wayne County before joining the Detroit River, forming an international border with Canada, and eventually flowing into Lake Erie. Our testing found some of the highest levels in the entire study: PFHxS at 16 parts per trillion (ppt), above EPA’s 10 ppt standard, and PFOA at 44 ppt, more than ten times the 4 ppt limit.
This contamination is especially concerning for the people and wildlife living near our rivers, particularly downstream from wastewater treatment plants where some of the highest PFAS concentrations were detected. Treatment plants are not the only pathway for PFAS to enter our environment, but they are one of the most direct, as manufacturers discharge toxic industrial wastewater into the system. Few of the facilities that receive this inflow are equipped to remove PFAS, allowing the toxins to flow into waterways and soils.
Of the 22 wastewater treatment plants near sampled locations across 19 states, the only one with enforceable PFAS limits was the Detroit facility — yet even there, the facility has not installed the treatment technology needed to actually remove PFAS . This means that despite having stronger rules on paper, Detroit remains vulnerable, and the Rouge River continues to carry the burden of pollution our systems cannot yet filter out.
Many facilities also face funding and capacity challenges for system upgrades, and those costs are almost always passed on to residents. In Wayne County, at least 20 percent of people likely struggle with rising bills for utilities, healthcare, and rent. They should not have to bear the full economic burden while the industries that create this pollution avoid responsibility.
For decades, manufacturers have profited from PFAS and passed off the cost of their pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to move in the right direction to protect our communities and not walk back existing regulations. The national drinking water standard for PFAS exists to protect both people and the waterways we need for our wellbeing and livelihoods.
Weakening or delaying these protections will only increase harm and saddle future generations with higher levels of contamination, along with the massive health and economic consequences that come with it.
Access to clean water and a safe environment is a human right, not a privilege for the wealthiest. PFAS may be invisible, but they will not disappear on their own. We urge anyone who cares about public health, clean drinking water, and our local environment to call on local lawmakers to implement regular PFAS monitoring in our rivers and insist that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin strengthen regulations rather than roll back protections.
