PFAS chemicals exceeding state standards have been found in the drinking water supply of the state prison in Charleston.

Tests showed that per-and poly fluoroalky substances exceeding state standards were found in three of five wells that supply drinking water to the Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, the Maine Department of Corrections announced Tuesday night.

Used in a wide variety of consumer goods, the synthetic chemicals, which were created in the 1940s, have been linked to numerous health problems. The chemicals resist breaking down in the body and environment, earning them the name “forever chemicals.”

The level of PFAS found in the water at the prison exceeded the state drinking water standard of 20 parts per trillion, according to the corrections department. The facility will immediately stop using water from the three affected wells.

Alternative sources of water for drinking and cooking will be supplied to Mountain View for staff and residents, but Anna Black, spokesperson for the MDOC, did not say where that water will come from.

Mountain View houses 304 male residents. Of the five wells that provide water to the facility, three exceeded the 20 ppt standard, with levels coming in at 27.7 ppt, 31.0 ppt, and 30.7 ppt.

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MDOC said it consulted with the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Environmental Protection. The state will conduct more frequent testing on the wells and water supply at the prison.

According to the Maine CDC, the widespread use and persistence of PFAS means most people living in the United States have been exposed to some levels of the chemicals. There is evidence to suggest that continued exposure above certain levels can lead to adverse health effects.

The Maine Legislature passed a bill in June 2021 mandating that all public water systems, schools and daycare facilities sample drinking water for PFAS.

More than 1,600 private water wells were tested in Maine last year for PFAS contamination and just over 75% were found to be safe for water consumption, state officials said Wednesday.

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