A new study in Unity, Maine, will examine how soil particles contaminated with PFAS chemicals become airborne, raising concerns for farmworker exposure and long-term health risks.
Vivien Leigh reports for NEWS CENTER Maine.
In short:
- More than 80 farms and 500 residential properties in Maine are contaminated with PFAS, prompting some farms to shift to new crops or solar energy to survive.
- The study, funded by Maine’s PFAS fund, will collect soil samples during tilling to understand how dust containing “forever chemicals” disperses and what that means for personal exposure.
- Researchers hope the findings will help guide farmers on how to manage land transitions without worsening exposure risks to workers or nearby communities.
Key quote:
"Not only am I breathing that as I drive back and forth on the tractor, but off it goes on the wind current across the landscape, across any number of property boundaries."
— Adam Nordell, policy advocate, Defend Our Health
Why this matters:
When applied to farmland via contaminated sludge, PFAS can persist in soil and crops for years. As farmers till the land, tiny particles laced with PFAS can go airborne, creating new exposure pathways through inhalation, especially for those working the soil. Studies have linked PFAS exposure to a range of health issues, including cancer, liver damage, and reproductive problems. The growing awareness of PFAS in dust is raising new alarms in farming communities where air quality hadn’t previously been a central concern.
Learn more: How toxic PFAS chemicals could be making their way into food from Pennsylvania farms
