Maine CDC updates freshwater fish consumption advisories in Waldo County due to PFAS contamination – PenBay Pilot

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today issued updated freshwater fish consumption advisories for Freedom, Knox, Unity and Winslow. The updated advisories follow ongoing PFAS testing of water bodies across the state by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and are issued in coordination with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). 
Testing of fish in these locations found levels of perfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, above the Maine CDC’s recommended levels for regular consumption.
Elevated levels of the PFAS chemical called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in fish tissue samples from Sandy Stream in Freedom, Knox, and Unity and in Sebasticook River in Winslow. Based on the results of those tests, the Maine CDC recommends limiting consumption of all fish or certain fish from the following four waterbodies:
Area
Waterbody
Consumption Advisory1
Freedom, Knox, Unity
Sandy Stream from Route 137 in Freedom to Stevens Road in Unity.
Consume no more than 5 meals per year of any fish species.
Sandy Stream from Stevens Road in Unity to the confluence with Halfmoon Stream.
Do Not Eat any fish species.
Sandy Stream from the confluence with Halfmoon Stream to Unity Pond.
Consume no more than 5 meals per year of smallmouth bass.
Winslow
Sebasticook River from Benton Falls in Benton to the Kennebec River.
Consume no more than 1 meal per month of any fish species.
All four advisories are expansions or updates to those issued in previous years. With these additions and updates, a total of 28 waterbodies in Maine currently have a freshwater consumption advisory, bringing the total number of PFAS advisories to 29. The updated advisories recommend limiting consumption of fish from specific sections of two flowing waterbodies. All fish consumption advisories are listed on the Maine CDC’s website.
Meals defined as an 8-ounce serving. 
“Before heading out to go fishing, anglers should take a few minutes to review advisories in place for their favorite fishing spots so they can make good decisions about eating the fish they catch,” said Maine CDC Director Dr. Puthiery Va. “These advisories are designed to support the health of everyone who enjoys eating freshwater fish from these bodies of water.”
“Maine has over 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 6,000 lakes and ponds with endless opportunities to fish,” said Tim Peabody, Acting Commissioner at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in a news release. “This revised advisory list of 28 waters provides Maine’s 380,000 anglers information they can utilize when they choose to keep their catch and have a meal of freshwater fish.”
Fishing in these specific waterbodies remains a safe activity, in accordance with the consumption advisories, along with other recreational activities such as swimming, wading, and boating. The Maine CDC recommends that anglers review all existing fish consumption advisories for Maine waters. 
In 2025, the Maine DEP collected and tested fish from 35 sites across Maine, including the waterbodies subject to new or revised advisories. The Maine DEP often prioritizes waterbodies for sampling based on known or potential PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and/or soils. The Maine CDC determined that many of the sites that were tested in 2025 did not require fish consumption advisories. The Maine DEP continually consults with the Maine CDC and MDIFW to develop plans for additional sampling of fish as part of the State’s ongoing investigation of PFAS.
PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals found in a variety of consumer products throughout the world. As described in a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, exposure to certain PFAS chemicals has been associated with changes in liver and kidney function, changes in cholesterol levels, decreased immune response to vaccines in children, complications during pregnancy, increased risk of kidney cancer and possibly testicular cancer. 
For more information about the fish consumption advisories and PFAS, visit:
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Waldo County closed cases (4,711)
Knox County grand jury… (2,674)
Carl B. Wood, obituary (2,272)
Knox County deed transfers (2,210)
Nancy Neville Angelos… (2,144)
Camden Select Board Candidate… (1,745)
Camden elects Bobbi Oxton… (1,683)
Camden Select Board Candidate… (1,666)
Rockport Select Board… (1,582)
Barbara Nash Gushee, obituary (1,507)
View the discussion thread.
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