PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine CDC announced Thursday it updated existing and added new freshwater fish consumption advisories in the state.
The advisories recommend limiting the consumption of all or certain fish from six Maine waterbodies, a news release from the Maine CDC said.
"Two of the advisories are expansions of those issued last year for seven waterbodies, while four bodies of water are new additions to the list, which now totals 11," the release said.
According to the release, the updated advisories are a result of testing fish from the waterbody locations and finding PFAS levels that are above the Maine CDC's recommended levels for regular consumption.
These updated advisories come after testing of fish in these locations found levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, above Maine CDC's recommended levels for regular consumption.
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and are known as "forever chemicals" due to their nature of breaking down very slowly and persisting in the environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Elevated levels of the PFAS called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in fish samples from Limestone Stream below the dam near Route 229 in Limestone, Kennebec River between Hinkley and Fairfield, Number One Pond on Mousam River in Sanford, Halfmoon Stream in Thorndike, Fifteenmile Stream in Albion, and China Lake," the release said Thursday.
The Maine CDC's updated fish consumption advisories apply to the following waterbodies:
- Albion
- Fifteenmile Stream from Yorktown Brook inlet at Hussey Road to Route 137/202 in Albion
- Consume no more than two meals per month of brook trout
- China
- All of China Lake
- Consume no more than one meal per month of any fish species
- Fairfield
- Kennebec River from Carrabassett Stream inlet just North of Route 23 to Lockwood Dam in Waterville
- Consume no more than nine meals per year of smallmouth bass
- Limestone
- All of Durepo Pond and Limestone Stream from Durepo to the Canadian Border
- Consume no more than four meals per year of brook trout, and do not eat smallmouth bass
- Sanford
- All of Number One Pond
- Consume no more than one meal per month of largemouth bass
- Thorndike
- Halfmoon Stream from Shikles Road in Thorndike to Berry Road in Unity near the confluence with Sandy Stream
"Fishing in these specific waterbodies remains a safe activity, in accordance with the consumption advisories, along with other recreational activities such as swimming, wading, and boating," the release stated. "The Maine CDC recommends that anglers review all existing fish consumption advisories for Maine waters."
