The state of Maine will now cover the cost of PFAS blood testing for eligible farmers and farm residents exposed to the compounds.
It's the latest use of a more than $60 million PFAS fund created in 2022.
Director Beth Valentine said while a person's exposure to PFAS does not necessarily mean they will get sick, testing can help them make informed decisions.
"So by knowing whether an individual has an elevated risk, then they can work with their medical providers to monitor and address that risk," she said.
She said without the program, the blood tests would typically cost between $400 and $600.
Valentine said the free testing is available to farmers whose soil or wells meet a certain threshold of contamination.
"They have to be a commercial farm, or have worked on a commercial farm, or be a non-farm resident whose exposure to PFAS can be linked back to the land application of biosolids or sludge," she said, adding that the department is contacting those who may be eligible.
She encourages those who think they may be eligible but have not yet heard from the state to contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry: PFASFund.DACF@maine.gov.
