Plan to Dine on Wild Turkey Tonight? Read This

If you have a wild turkey on the dinner table this Thanksgiving, be sure you know where it came from. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has issued "do not eat" advisories for wild turkeys and deer in parts of the state, citing elevated concentrations of forever chemicals—also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS—in animals harvested near sites with contaminated soil, the Guardian reports. PFAS, used in manufacturing and consumer products since the 1950s, are known to persist in the environment for centuries and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other serious health issues.

Maine is not the only state grappling with PFAS contamination in wildlife. Similar advisories have been issued this year in Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Mexico, where deer, fish, and birds have tested positive for the chemicals. In Michigan's Clark's Marsh, near a former air force base, the PFAS contamination is linked to the military's use of firefighting foam. Residents are warned against consuming any wildlife from the area, while in Stella, Wisconsin, residents are urged to limit venison consumption and avoid deer liver entirely due to contamination. Maine officials say PFAS have been found in wild turkey and deer harvested in the southwest part of the state, north of Augusta. Additional testing is underway in other areas.

At least 17 states have issued advisories related to PFAS in fish, and concerns are growing about the impact on birds and mammals. Newsweek notes cooking animal meat won't get rid of PFAS. According to Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, PFAS contamination in wildlife is now a global issue and is likely to persist for decades unless the use of these chemicals is dramatically reduced. Stoiber emphasizes the need for stricter federal regulations, better public education, and a phase-out of PFAS in commerce to limit future exposure and environmental damage.