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Maine CDC expands advisories on eating freshwater fish due to PFAS contamination

In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 photo a pair of rainbow smelt are held by a fisherman at Jim Worthing's Smelt Camps on the Kennebec River in Randolph, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP
In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 photo a pair of rainbow smelt are held by a fisherman at Jim Worthing's Smelt Camps on the Kennebec River in Randolph, Maine.

The Maine Center for Disease Control has expanded its advisories on limiting fish consumption due to PFAS contamination.

The agency says fish samples from lakes, rivers, and streams in Sanford, Albion, China, Fairfield, Thorndike and Limestone had elevated levels of the forever chemicals. Two of the locations are expansions from advisories issued last year, and four are new additions for a total of 11 waterbodies throughout the state.

The advisories are listed on the Maine CDC Environmental Health website. Some recommend avoiding consumption of any fish, others set limits to a monthly or annual basis.

The agency says it's continually working to expand sampling for PFAS contamination. The chemicals are used in a wide variety of consumer products and have been associated with cancer, pregnancy complications, and other health issues.

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