Mitchell Center to host talk on PFAS in fish tissue Oct. 2
The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk, “PFAS: A New Fish Tissue Issue,” at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” is a group of human-made chemicals that can be toxic and remain in the environment for a very long time. Some kinds of PFAS bioaccumulate in freshwater fish, often reaching hundreds to thousands times more in fish tissue than the water. Tom Danielson, an aquatic biologist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), will discuss the department’s role in collecting fish tissue samples to test for PFAS and providing information to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to establish safe eating guidelines for freshwater fish.
Danielson leads the Aquatic Toxicology Unit at the Maine DEP and formerly coordinated biological assessments of streams and rivers. Before coming to Maine, he was an ecologist with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He also earned a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in ecology and environmental sciences from UMaine.
All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall. Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, visit the event webpage.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196; hallsworth@maine.edu.