As nurses and healthcare professionals in today’s increasingly fast-paced, interconnected world, it is not enough to just be well-versed in the latest medical advancements and treatments. Instead, nurses must be aware of the unique issues and challenges in the communities they serve, recognizing and addressing risks to impaired health and potential disparities. Here in Maine, one of these relevant issues is PFAS contamination on farms across the state. I recently had the opportunity to virtually attend an interprofessional event focusing on this topic, and ultimately relate it to my future career as a nurse. My interest in farming began in high school, when I took a job at a local vegetable farmstand down the road from my house. I also traveled to farms across New England through an organization called WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), a work-for-stay program. The summer before my freshman year of college, I spent a season on an organic farm in the mountains of New Hampshire. When I wasn’t planting lettuce or trellising tomatoes or digging up potatoes, I was dreaming about starting my own farm, reading whatever material I could get my hands on about the process of acquiring land, making a business plan, and reaching customers. Thus, it was no surprise to anyone when I began college in UMass Amherst’s Sustainable Food and Farming program. Agriculture remains close to my heart today, even though I switched my major to nursing and transferred to UNE after a semester. I continue to work part-time on a local farm, and meticulously maintain a backyard garden. My education and experience in agriculture has left me all too aware of the devastating impact of PFAS, and I look forward to using my nursing career to contribute to solving this issue. When I heard this event was coming to UNE, I knew it would be a valuable way to connect two topics that I am passionate about.
The first presenter, Mariam Taleb from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, was actually a graduate of the Sustainable Food and Farming program where I began at UMass Amherst! She provided a brief overview of PFAS and their impact. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were a common ingredient in many household products, such as nonstick cookware, in the mid-20th century. However, these substances don’t break down, and remain in the environment and our bodies. In the 1980s and 90s, it became common practice for farms to spread biosolids, unknowingly containing PFAS, from wastewater treatment plants on their fields as fertilizer. Though PFAS are no longer used (and biosolids are no longer applied to soil), the chemical contamination has lingered at dozens of farms in the state, even those who never applied biosolids on their land (the chemicals can spread easily). Little research has been done on the full breadth of effects of PFAS on the human body, but it is established that they are anything but positive, from liver and kidney disease to cancer. Though the presentation focused mostly on what is being done to help farms experiencing PFAS contamination—representatives from the Maine Farmland Trust and State Senate spoke about offering free water testing, compensating farmers for use of their land for research, and income replacement and grants, among other things—it also addressed the role that nurses and healthcare professionals play in addressing the problem. Because we don’t yet fully understand the consequences of PFAS on health, nurses must listen to patients who’ve been exposed, look for patterns, and advocate for additional research. Nurses are truly on the front lines of noticing the effects of these chemicals, thus, their role is critical.
In my recent discussion board post about healthcare disparities, I spoke about the obstacles that individuals in rural communities, especially agriculturally-centered areas, face in accessing healthcare. PFAS contamination and its potential for adverse health effects only further emphasizes the importance of promoting access for these individuals. In my role as a nurse, I will work to break down barriers to accessing services—whether it be by challenging the common practice of canceling an appointment if the patient is more that 15 minutes late, or by bringing services to the patient through home healthcare—and integrate my knowledge of PFAS into the care I provide, along with collaborating with other professionals to identify patterns and health concerns.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspectives on this important topic…excellent reflection.