PFAS refers to a family of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS have been used in many household and industrial products since the 1940s. These chemicals have been used to make products repel water and resist stains and grease. PFAS have been used in carpets, fabric, clothing, food packaging, pots and pans, and personal care products. PFAS are also key ingredients in some fire-fighting foams. Some PFAS chemicals are no longer used in manufacturing. Some of these chemicals can persist for a very long time once released into the environment and can also remain in our bodies years after our exposure has ended.
How can I be exposed
Almost everyone has some PFAS in their bodies because of their use in so many consumer products. We also find low levels of PFAS in our environment, and sometimes higher levels near airfields or factories that used the chemicals or land (including farmland) with a history of land spreading of waste materials contaminated with PFAS.
These chemicals are able to move from soil to groundwater and as a result some water sources including private wells have been found to contain these chemicals.
These chemicals can also move from soil into crops grown in contaminated soil and have been found in the milk and meat or eggs of livestock fed crops containing PFAS.
Game animals such as deer and turkey that frequent highly contaminated land have been found to have levels of these chemicals in their meat.
Fish in waterbodies impacted by nearby contaminated soils or groundwater can also contain these chemicals
Individuals that are consuming contaminated water, milk, eggs, meat, plants, or fish and game may have higher levels of PFAS in their bodies and may want to test their blood for PFAS.
Additional Maine Resources
- Learn more about the DACF's PFAS response efforts, financial assistance for farmers, and the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination
- Learn more about PFAS from Maine's DEP
- Learn more about Maine's Department of Environmental Protection's PFAS investigation