Speaker: Tom Danielson, Aquatic Toxicology Unit, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”, is a group of man-made chemicals that can be toxic and remain in the 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. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection collects fish tissue samples and provides information to the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention to establish safe eating guidelines for freshwater fish.
Tom Danielson is an aquatic biologist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. He leads the Aquatic Toxicology Unit and formerly coordinated biological assessments of streams and rivers. Before coming to Maine, Tom was an ecologist with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Massachusetts, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Public Policy from Duke University, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, and a Ph. D. in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine.
The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine.
