Deer and turkey hunters have been warned to throw away their prey or risk exposing themselves to dangerous toxins.
Conservationists in Maine have expanded the area included in an advisory in which they found that chemicals known as PFAS are always present in white-tailed deer and wild turkeys.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are substances found in plastics, nonstick products and waterproof fabrics that have been linked to health problems including cancer, infertility and low birth weight in newborns.
The new advisory will now cover an additional 6 square miles in Unity Township, Freedom, Skowhegan, Fairfield and Albion in southern Maine.
The advisory took effect Thursday, just before the fall hunting season begins Nov. 2, although the annual hunting season began in late August.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) said the deer and turkey – two of the state’s most popular game animals – had levels of PFAS in their muscle tissue that warranted the advisory.
The update is based on testing 54 white-tailed deer and 55 wild turkeys.
The MDIFW said: ‘The advisory areas include areas contaminated with high levels of PFAS through the spread of municipal and/or industrial sludge containing PFAS.’
Hunters in Maine have been warned not to eat white-tailed deer due to high levels of perennial chemicals found in their systems
“Deer and turkeys fed in these contaminated areas have ingested these chemicals and now have PFAS in their meat and organs,” the agency added.
The Maine IFW chapter and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began testing local wildlife for signs of PFAS after finding high levels in soil during routine testing.
“The new advisory areas are the result of extensive wildlife sampling in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties to investigate the impact of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on wildlife in the area,” the department wrote in a Facebook post .
The departments explained that the “Do Not Eat” advisory does not necessarily mean that all turkey and deer contain PFAS or that people who eat the meat will become sick.
“However, if the game has been harvested from the advisory area, we recommend that you no longer eat the meat or organs,” the MDIFW said.
“Your risk of health effects depends on how much game you have eaten from this area and how many years you have harvested deer or wild turkey in this area.”
PFAS are man-made chemicals found primarily in plastics, waterproof clothing, upholstery and food containers.
The chemicals seep into the soil from factories and can also enter the water supply and pollute the air.
They are called forever chemicals because they do not break down and can persist in the environment and body for decades.
PFAS can also accumulate over time in the blood and organs of wild game and fish.
Wild turkeys also fall under the ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory because consuming the chemicals can lead to an increased risk of cancer or low birth weight in newborns
High levels of these chemicals found in humans have been linked to increased cholesterol levels, the risk of high blood pressure or preeclampsia in pregnant women, and an increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
Research into PFAS contamination in wildlife began in 2016 when high levels of the forever chemical were found in milk at a dairy farm in Arundel, Maine.
In 2020, high levels were again detected at two dairy farms in Fairfield, about 105 miles from the first site.
This prompted conservationists to begin testing soil across the state, as well as sludge and septage from septic systems.
In 2021, a “Do Not Eat” advisory was issued across 120 square miles in Somerset County after PFAS was found in five of eight deer tested. The warning still remains in effect.
Although the latest advisory only applies to deer and turkey, officials are also warning people about eating freshwater fish.
“Fish tested in several water bodies within and near the ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory area have been found to have PFAS levels above the Maine CDC recommended levels for regular consumption,” MDIFW warned.
The affected waterways include Kennebec River and Fish Brook in Fairfield, Unity Pond and Halfmoon Stream in Unity Township.