MAINE PUBLIC • November 18, 2024
A new study led by the Maine Center for Disease Control sheds some light on how harmful PFAS chemicals move from the soil into crops used as livestock feed. Researchers hope it will help farmers manage grazing to reduce the risk of contamination. One of the key findings is that as farmers made multiple cuts of hay or grass during a single season, PFAS levels in those crops tended to be higher in the second or third cuts. Tom Simones, assistant state toxicologist at the CDC and lead author of the study, said beef farmers could feed their cattle first cut hay to lower the risk of contamination.