A recent study in New Mexico has revealed alarming levels of PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals,' in birds, small mammals, and plants around Holloman Air Force Base. These man-made chemicals, commonly used in nonstick cookware and other products, are known to cause cancer and other health problems.
Environment al regulators and health officials in New Mexico are warning hunters that harmful chemicals known to cause cancer in people have been found at record levels in birds, small mammals and plants at a lake near Holloman Air Force Base . State officials say the findings are some of the highest levels documented in wildlife and plants worldwide based on comparisons with other published studies.
Researchers contracted by the state tested muscle, liver and bone tissue in ducks, other birds and rodents as well as eggshells, algae and even skin shed by a rattlesnake. In recent years, state officials have been forced to issue health advisories to hunters and others as a result of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS showing up in wild animals that are hunted for sport and sustenance. From Maine to Michigan and beyond, wildlife managers and scientists have been busy expanding testing as the scope of the problem widens, in part because they don’t degrade or do so slowly in the environment and can remain in a person’s bloodstream for life. Shipments of uranium ore can resume under an agreement reached with the Navajo Nation. In New Mexico, the concern centers on a lake that serves as the wastewater reservoir for Holloman Air Force Base. It sits at the edge of the base and near White Sands National Park. While hunting is now prohibited there, state officials are concerned that the lake serves as a layover for ducks and other migratory birds that could end up being harvested elsewhere. “The levels of PFAS contamination in Holloman Lake are deeply concerning, particularly for hunters who may have consumed waterfowl from the area over the past decade,” said Miranda Durham, the medical director for the state Department of Health. The state’s findings were made public Monday to put more pressure on federal officials amid ongoing legal battles over cleanup at Holloman and at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico. The New Mexico study points to the need for additional testing of waterfowl and oryx samples to better characterize the risk to hunters outside the immediate footprint of contamination at the base and the lake. A scientist, who called the levels of PFAS in wildlife at the lake alarming, said they are not surprising given that the chemicals — used in nonstick pans and many other products — are pervasive in the environment. “These chemicals accumulate in the body over time, creating serious long-term health risks, including cancer, developmental harm and immune system suppression,” Stoiber told The Associated Press. “The situation at Holloman Lake highlights just how much more we need to understand about PFAS contamination in wildlife and the broader environment.” In Maine, the state wildlife agency is working with university researchers to track deer and turkey to understand how their movements could potentially influence exposure.
PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Environmental Contamination Wildlife Health Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico
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