Researchers Detect PFAS in Northern Wisconsin Wild Rice

A new study confirms low-level PFAS contamination in manoomin samples collected from northern Wisconsin waterways.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Organic Food

Gouache-painted illustration of wild rice stalks on a neutral surface, evoking a quiet, somber tone about environmental food safety. — Researchers detected PFAS chemicals in wild rice samples collected from Wisconsin waterways, raising concerns about the safety of traditional food sources. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Researchers identified traces of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wild rice samples gathered from sites in northern Wisconsin. The findings were released in a study published on October 17, 2026, investigating the presence of these chemicals in traditional food sources.

Why it matters

The study addresses significant concerns regarding the impact of environmental pollutants on traditional Indigenous foods like manoomin. Understanding these contamination levels is vital for monitoring the safety of natural food resources in the region.

Researchers measured PFAS concentrations at 1.306 nanograms per gram in Turtle Flowage, which remains below the 2 nanograms per gram safety threshold. No PFAS was detected in samples taken from Allouez Bay or the St. Louis River Estuary.

The players

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

This inter-tribal agency provides natural resource management and conservation services for member tribes in the Great Lakes region.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

This public research university contributed scientific expertise to the collaborative investigation regarding environmental contaminants.

Field Museum of Chicago

This major natural history museum participated in the research project to help analyze environmental data in northern Wisconsin.

The details

The research team collected plant samples during the fall of 2024 at various locations, including Allouez Bay, the Turtle Flowage, and Wild Rice Reservoir. Scientists utilized a collaborative approach that combined Indigenous knowledge systems with standard environmental analysis to interpret the data.

Plant samples for the environmental study were collected during the fall of 2024.
The findings were formally published in the journal Chemosphere on October 17, 2026.

Culture Shift

This research reflects a growing shift toward integrating Indigenous knowledge with Western science to monitor traditional food ecosystems. This collaborative approach marks a departure from purely academic environmental surveys by centering the protection of culturally significant resources.

Residents and harvesters of manoomin in northern Wisconsin should note that while detected PFAS levels are below the 2 nanograms per gram safety threshold, monitoring of these sites will continue. This data provides community members with baseline environmental information regarding the safety of their traditional food sources.

The takeaway

This study underscores the necessity of ongoing environmental surveillance for chemicals that can impact traditional harvesting grounds. Residents can better protect their food security by staying informed on the collaborative research efforts monitoring local water quality.

What happens next

Researchers plan to conduct future studies evaluating the cumulative impact of mercury and PFAS levels on the health of manoomin and other traditional food sources.