Forever chemicals in Philadelphia, Montco creek

• It's becoming nearly impossible to avoid those harmful and extremely durable chemicals, which have been linked to cancers, as well as immune and developmental damage in children.

State of play: Testing of fish tissue from the creek, which runs through Philly and Montco, found levels of the forever chemical PFOS above the allowable limit, per the state's website.

• The "do not eat" advisory extends to all species of fish in the creek.

Plus: The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission nixed a planned trout stocking scheduled for next week due to the advisory.

Between the lines: The Wissahickon Creek, which runs beside Forbidden Drive, is a popular destination for swimmers (in the warmer months) as well as fisherman.

Zoom in: In the Philly region, PFAS have been detected in both groundwater and surface water that supply drinking water.

• Similar state advisories to not eat fish are currently in place in several other Pennsylvania waterways, like the Neshaminy Creek basin in Bucks County and Montco.

Zoom out: A 2023 study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that at least 45% of U.S. tap water is estimated to be contaminated with forever chemicals.

What's they're saying: Stephanie Wein, the water and conservation advocate for PennEnvironment, tells Axios that PFAS will continue to pop up in water recreation areas because of how prevalent the chemicals are.

• "Where you look for it, you will often find it," she said.

What we're watching: PennEnvironment is expected to release a report next week about where PFAS has been detected in rivers and streams in the Philly region.