TIMES RECORD • July 3, 2024
Nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they never fully degrade, PFAS compounds are resistant to heat, oil and water. While such agents make life-saving products, such as firefighting foam, effective, exposure has been linked to cancer and birth defects, among other health issues. Worse yet, PFAS has made its way into Maine’s tap water. Bigelow Laboratory, one of the three state-certified research centers offering PFAS testing, recently launched new analytical services to test samples of water, sediment, soil and plant and animal tissue using EPA-established methods.