MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 14, 2023
As more than 500 private wells exceed state standards for safe drinking water, residents who have been consuming PFAS for years want answers about the chemicals' effects. Researchers are still learning about the health effects of exposure to the chemicals. Contamination could cause long-term health problems, including increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, damage to the liver, high cholesterol, pregnancy complications, lower birth weight in infants and other potential health risks, research shows. But while Maine is working on detecting the so-called forever chemicals in the environment and remediating the contamination, thousands of Mainers like the Nordells are left wondering about what long-term exposure is doing to their bodies.