Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Don’t eat mallard ducks from lower Green Bay: That’s the word from Wisconsin natural resources and health officials.
The agencies say tests showed the ducks were contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
In the northern portion of the bay, people are advised to limit their mallard duck consumption to one meal per month, and wood duck consumption to one meal per week.
The lower bay is defined as being south of a line from Longtail Point to Point au Sable. The northern portion is north of there and south of a line from Marinette to Sturgeon Bay.
The Departments of Natural Resources and Health Services say waterfowl were collected from the bay in 2022 to test for PCB contamination. Additional tests for PFAS were done at that time. More samples were collected in 2023 and 2024.
The tests showed both adult and juvenile ducks in the lower portion of the bay had higher PFAS concentrations than in the northern portion.
PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” are man-made substances found in a number of products. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS can increase cancer risk and can affect growth, learning and women’s fertility.
Meanwhile, the DNR and DHS also issued a similar advisory for fish and deer from the town of Stella in Oneida County. That is just east of Rhinelander.
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