Maine hunters are urged to avoid eating deer and turkey from certain regions after testing revealed harmful levels of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," in wildlife meat.
Patrick Whittle reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued a “do not eat” advisory after finding PFAS contamination in deer and turkeys in areas like Unity and Fairfield.
- PFAS chemicals, linked to health risks like cancer, were found in wildlife feeding on contaminated land treated with municipal or industrial sludge.
- Similar advisories are in place in other states as PFAS pollution in wildlife continues to draw regulatory concern.
Key quote:
“The advisory areas encompass areas that have been contaminated by high levels of PFAS through the spreading of municipal and/or industrial sludge that contained PFAS.”
— Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Why this matters:
PFAS contamination in wildlife raises alarms about food safety and environmental health. Known to persist in ecosystems and accumulate in living organisms, PFAS exposure through game meat could impact hunters and families who rely on wild food sources.
Learn more: How toxic PFAS chemicals could be making their way into food from Pennsylvania farms
