ORONO — What started as a student paper has become a roadmap for dealing with the harmful chemicals known as PFAS.

For nearly two years, University of Maine undergraduate student Eddie Nachamie has been researching Maine’s response to the so-called “forever chemicals,” which have contaminated wells and farmland across the country.

Certain levels of PFAS may also lead to cancer, immune system disorders and other health problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial and industrial products.

Through his verified work, he’s discovered that the state of Maine is leading the nation in PFAS regulation. 

“We have more legislation on the books than anyone else right now,” said Nachamie. “There’s been the most robust response in Maine out of any other state. Some states aren’t even regulating PFAS beyond what federal laws mandate.”

He added that Maine also has more supports for those who have been affected by the chemicals.

“There’s also been all sorts of programs to support farmers,” said Nachamie. “Financial support to farmers who have contaminated land, programs where Maine state agencies are investigating where PFAS are in the state.”

Nachamie studies ecology and environmental sciences at the university, and a senior at the Honors College. 

His analysis was originally just a homework assignment for a class taught by Rachel Schattman, an associate professor of sustainable agriculture at the school.

But, once he and Schattman realized its potential, Nachamie’s work quickly expanded into a compilation of every bill and regulation relating to PFAS in Maine.

He did that by going through Maine’s response bill-by-bill, working under the guidance of Schattman.

“Eddie realized early on that this wasn’t just an academic exercise,” Schattman said. “Maine’s PFAS policies were changing in real time, and there was a real need for someone to step back and make sense of how all these pieces fit together.” 

According to the university, Nachamie conducted interviews and worked closely with staff at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to compile and verify every PFAS-related law passed by the Maine Legislature.

His work can now be used as a framework for other states that are still figuring out how to implement PFAS legislation.

“There’s also a lot of legislation that’s been passed in the state that’s the first of its kind,” said Nachamie. “Maine has action thresholds in beef and milk. There’s no other state in the country that’s regulating PFAS in the food system.”

He added that he believes everyone can benefit from this kind of work.

“With PFAS, there’s a lot of barriers in terms of understanding what they are and why they might be dangerous to both human health and the environment,” said Nachamie. “By creating this framework, kind of like a roadmap for other states to follow, we can get people up to speed with addressing this issue.”