Maine wildlife officials have warned hunters that white-tailed deer and wild turkeys in some parts of the state are not safe to eat because of high levels of toxic substances. “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the state’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a “Do not eat” advisory Thursday for two new locations in central Maine. The two advisory areas include approximately 5.5 square miles in Unity Township and Unity and 4.3 square miles in Unity, Freedom and Albion. This new advisory adds to a larger region spanning approximately 25 square miles in Somerset County, which has been under a do-not-eat advisory since November 2021.

The first warnings were issued after MDIFW began testing PFAS levels in wildlife harvested in the Fairfield area just north of Portland, an area with some of the highest known soil concentrations of PFAS in the world. the state. When elevated levels of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), a compound in the PFAS family of chemicals, were detected in five of eight deer tested in October 2021, MDIFW and MCDC issued an advisory for 125 square miles in the “by abundance” zone. of caution for public health.

In 2023, the “Do Not Eat” limits were reduced to 25 miles. The reduction came after test results from 60 deer and 51 wild turkeys showed that only those collected from the most contaminated fields had detectable levels of PFAS/PFOS in muscle tissue.

Currently, only deer and turkeys in limited advisory areas have had muscle tissue PFAS levels assessed. However, targeted sampling in other areas is currently underway. If elevated levels are detected, additional hunting grounds may be added to the advisory.

What are Forever chemicals?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used to repel water, oil, and stains. First made popular by Dupont in the form of Teflon-coated nonstick cookware, today nearly 15,000 different chemicals fall under the PFAS category. They are commonly found in products such as firefighting foam, food packaging, rain jackets and shampoo.

PFAS have earned the nickname “forever chemicals” because they contain strong chemical bonds that are highly resistant to degradation, meaning they can persist for decades, accumulating in the environment and in the body human. Over time, PFAS have made their way into our soil, air, and water systems. When humans eat meat from contaminated animals, they risk ingesting PFAS, which can accumulate in tissues over time. Research links exposure to PFAS to a range of health problems, including liver damage, thyroid diseasesAnd certain cancers.

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set applicable levels of PFOS at four parts per trillion. The EPA has concluded, however, that there is no safe level of this chemical compound in drinking water. Although the use of PFOS in manufacturing has been phased out nationally, “fields with a history of biosolids application still have high levels of PFOS in soil and some surface waters for several years.” after the last application,” according to MDIFW.

In addition to animals harvested this hunting season, MDIFW advises hunters to discard any meat in their freezers in advisory areas due to the possibility of high levels of PFAS contamination from previous years.

Read more: PFAS Explained: These Forever chemicals are banned in a variety of outdoor products. Now equipment makers are scrambling

Maine is not the only state warning hunters about the dangers of PFAS-contaminated meat. Michigan, first state to definitively test white-tailed deer for chemicals, issues ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory reviews in 2018 for deer taken in the Clark’s Marsh area of ​​Oscoda Township. The state also recommends not eating organs of deer, fish and other wild game caught anywhere in the state.
In 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a “Do Not Eat” advisory for deer liver harvested within 5 miles of a facility that manufactures firefighting foam. New Hampshire also recommends hunters refrain from eating deer liver due to high levels of PFAS in samples tested statewide.