Are PFAS a Problem for Aquatic Life in the Casco Bay Watershed?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53558/vr3af131Keywords:
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFOA, PFOS, aqueous film forming foam, aquatic organismsAbstract
To investigate whether PFAS are a problem for fish and shellfish in the Casco Bay Watershed, staff of Friends of Casco Bay partnered with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay to design a study of PFAS levels in waters from below Sebago Lake to outer Casco Bay. They compared the study’s results to recommended water quality criteria and guidance developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and other states to protect fish and shellfish from toxic effects caused by PFAS. Overall, the data from this study show that the highest levels of PFAS are near land-based sources and that watershed loading contributes the most PFAS to Casco Bay. This paper proposes potential next steps for PFAS monitoring and policy designed to protect aquatic life.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ivy Frignoca, Heather Kenyon (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
