Last updated: April 17, 2024
Concerns about PFAS have surfaced as more of Maine’s lands and waters are tested. Before 2023, no one had gathered samples from the marine waters of Casco Bay yet. Last year, Friends of Casco Bay and Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Sciences partnered up to test for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Casco Bay. We’ve gathered the results from our first year of samples and have learned some interesting things about PFAS along the way.
1. We found PFAS at all 18 sites we sampled in Casco Bay in 2023.
While there are no safe limits set for marine waters, all of our samples were lower than Maine’s interim drinking water standards.
PFAS levels appeared to dilute quickly at sites further offshore.
[Update on 4/17/24: The EPA finalized new and more stringent standards for drinking water on April 9, 2024. We understand that drinking water regulations are not the best framework to compare to marine waters since we don’t drink bay water. We are discussing how to evaluate the 2023 PFAS results and hope this continued study will help inform setting standards for PFAS in marine waters.]
2. Research shows PFAS to have serious and long-term health consequences,
including increased risk for kidney or testicular cancer, liver damage, high cholesterol, pregnancy complications, decreased fertility, lower birth weight in infants, and other potential health risks.* We know that PFAS-contaminated seafood affects human health so our sampling efforts in Casco Bay can help us better understand the risks.
3. PFAS have been manufactured since the 1940s.
They are used to make products durable and resistant to water, flames, and stains. PFAS can be found in a wide range of products — microwave popcorn bags, candy wrappers, camping gear, smartphones, pesticides, yoga pants, cosmetics, cleaning products, shampoo — the list goes on. It can feel a bit overwhelming.
4. PFAS really are “forever chemicals.”
Two of the top PFAS suspects, PFOA and PFOS showed up in higher concentrations at our Casco Bay test sites than any of the other PFAS compounds, even though these two were phased out in the US by 2016. This demonstrates just how persistent these chemicals are and the importance of bans.
5. It’s still safe for a lobster bake.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection collected and analyzed American lobster meat from across the coast of Maine in 2021.** Half of the sites had no detectable PFOS in lobster meat, while the rest showed very low concentrations that should not pose a risk to your next lobster feast according to Maine CDC. PFAS levels also tested low and are considered safe for Maine’s soft-shell clams, striped bass, and bluefish.**
6. Things are a bit fishy on the lower Presumpscot River.
Maine CDC recommends anglers consume only four meals per year of any fish caught from the lower Presumpscot River due to PFAS.***
7. We dressed up special for the occasion.
To avoid contaminating our samples, our scientists had to wear special clothing that didn’t contain any PFAS. We also had to stop using Sharpie markers and the write-in-the-rain paper we typically use because they both contain PFAS. Bigelow Laboratories has also developed very specific protocols in their labs for analyzing samples and is now certified to test water and sediment samples for PFAS for the state.
8. We’re looking for specific sources.
For this next round of sampling in 2024, we’ll take our boat and PFAS sampling kits to 71 sites around Casco Bay and the watershed to better understand how PFAS are entering our waters. This information will help Maine’s state agencies protect local water quality.
9. Maine is taking action.
In 2021, Maine passed groundbreaking bipartisan legislation banning all nonessential uses of PFAS in products used in Maine, some of the most stringent PFAS regulations in the country.
10. You can be part of the solution too.
We believe the best way to address the PFAS crisis is to enact regulations that limit or eliminate PFAS at the manufacturing level. You can support legislation requiring manufacturers to report their use of PFAS and oppose bills that move us backward. For example, right now there is a proposal we’ve testified against that would exempt agricultural pesticides from reporting requirements and the ban on PFAS until 2030. Until better regulations go into effect, here are some things consumers can do to reduce their PFAS exposure.
More Stories
Our Top 10 Stories of 2024: A Year of Action for Casco Bay
PFAS Spill at Brunswick Landing: A Letter from the Casco Baykeeper
10 Things We’ve Learned About PFAS in Casco Bay
Sources:
- Maine DEP on PFAS in Wastewater
- *CDC: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health
- **Maine’s Surface Water Ambient Toxics (SWAT) report on PFAS in the tissues of marine organisms (lobsters, clams, fish, etc.)
- ***Maine’s Freshwater Fish Safe Eating Guidelines
- ***Maine CDC Issues Advisory on Eating Freshwater Fish from Seven Water Bodies
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