Maine Warns Hunters to Avoid Eating Deer and Turkey Due to Possible PFAS Contamination

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, have been found in groundwater, tap water, bottled water and food packaging. Now, officials in Maine are warning that these chemicals may be turning up in wild game in certain parts of the state, and that hunters should refrain from eating what they kill.

This hunting season, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) have put out a “Do Not Eat” Advisory after finding high levels of PFAS in soil in some areas of the state. Affected areas under the advisory include Albion, Fairfield, Freedom, Skowhegan, Unity and Unity Township. Hunters can check the affected areas in the advisory map.

The advisory warns hunters against eating any parts of white-tailed deer or wild turkey hunted in the affected areas. For these areas, hunters will be limited to hunting for sport and trophy, rather than making full use of the animals they’ve hunted.

“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,” the department said, as reported by The Associated Press. “Deer and turkey feeding in these contaminated areas have ingested these chemicals and now have PFAS in their meat and organs.”

An investigation into PFAS contamination in local wildlife began back in 2016 after the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) found high levels of a common compound, PFOS, in milk at a dairy farm in Arundel, Maine. In 2020, high levels of PFOS were again detected in two dairy farms located in Fairfield, Maine.

Following these events, officials began testing PFAS in soil and wildlife throughout the state and are continuing to check for PFAS in sludge and septage from septic systems.

This year’s “Do Not Eat” advisory warning against PFAS contamination is not the first for Maine. MDIFW found high PFAS levels, particularly PFOS, in five of eight deer captured and tested in 2021.

But the testing at the time was limited, so the department created a larger test in 2022 to detect for PFAS in 60 deer and 51 wild turkeys. The findings prompted another advisory for 2023. This year, officials again expanded how far they were testing for PFAS, which led to advisories for two more areas than in previous years.

While the advisory currently only applies to deer and turkey, Maine officials are also warning that people be cautious with freshwater fish caught in parts of the state, as they too may be contaminated with PFAS.

“Fish tested in several waterbodies within and nearby the ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory area have been found to have levels of PFAS above Maine CDC’s recommended levels for regular consumption,” MDIFW warned. Affected waterways are available on the state government website.