CBS 13 • February 23, 2022
“Forever chemicals” are a widespread problem in Maine largely linked to the decades-long spread of sludge as a fertilizer on farmlands. But one Maine researcher has found another source. Gail Carlson, an assistant professor of environmental studies at Colby College, took snow samples right after the Colby Carnival, a collegiate competition that brings in roughly 175 to 200 Nordic skiers. Carlson was looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS. Fluorinated waxes have been largely used for Nordic skiing. But they have also been used for Alpine skiing and snowboarding. They contain PFAS, “forever chemicals” that are linked to serious health effects. Carlson found the waxes are rubbing off rather easily in the snow. And when the snow melts, the chemicals stick around in the soil, with the potential to get into the groundwater and move throughout the environment.