PFAS in Schools is a project of MDI Biological Laboratory, supported in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, grant number P30 ES000002 via a pilot project grant from the Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health. The Shultz Fund provided additional support.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” are soil, surface water, and groundwater contaminants found in many areas of the U.S. and worldwide. Unfortunately, rural schools in Maine and other states have encountered the issue of PFAS in drinking water, possibly due to the use of PFAS-containing products, such as floor waxes, strippers, and other cleaners, which have entered the wastewater stream and contaminated groundwater.
In a nationwide study of private and public drinking water sources, at least one forever chemical was found in 45% of samples. These chemicals are known to adversely affect human health and cause harm to various types of ecosystems.
With the passage of S.P. 64 (Resolve, To Protect Consumers of Public Drinking Water by Establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels for Certain Substances and Contaminants), the Maine legislature required schools and daycares to sample drinking water for PFAS by December 31, 2022. Through this sampling initiative, it was found that drinking water in some rural Maine schools has measurable PFAS, with many schools exceeding the 20 nanograms/liter total limit established for six regulated PFAS contaminants: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) that we hereafter refer to as ME-6. In a dataset obtained from Maine’s Drinking Water Program in November 2024, we discovered that of 196 schools tested, 36 (18.4%) exceeded the state standard of 20 ng/L for ME-6 (see map below). On April 10, 2024, the EPA released new drinking water standards for PFAS (PFOA and PFOS <4 ng/L; PFHxS and PFNA <10 ng/L; and defined mixtures < 1 Hazard Index. 61 Maine schools (31%) exceeded these standards on at least one occasion.
The interactive map below shows the results of PFAS testing of water samples from homes near some of the schools being investigated. Over time, the map will include all PFAS findings from homes surrounding schools (with homeowners’ permission). The first two projects showcased on the interactive map are data from homes around Mount Desert Island (MDI) High School and Tremont Consolidated School in Maine. These ongoing community projects aim to determine the levels of PFAS in drinking water from homes near schools with elevated PFAS in drinking water, provide homeowners with additional information, and help them understand how PFAS is transported through groundwater and surface water.
The map is preset to open with all sample sites, line features (streams), area features (lake, swamp, etc.), and bedrock units near MDI High School. The layer list is located on the map legend and allows for the addition of additional layers. Data from households near other schools can be found by typing “[School Name] Maine” into the “Find Address” search bar.
