People in Wisconsin can be confident deer they eat don’t have high PFAS levels, according to a DNR survey.
Last fall, the DNR advised people not to eat deer harvested near a known PFAS site in Marinette County.
But scientists weren’t sure if a statewide advisory was in order.
“Ultimately, it was unclear whether or not those results in Marinette County were due to local exposure or whether they were more representative of PFAS levels in deer livers statewide. We wanted to investigate that further,” said Tami Ryan, the DNR wildlife health program chief.
Wisconsin based its study on similar surveys in Michigan and Minnesota.
The DNR sampled the livers of 32 deer killed in 32 counties statewide. Only one had detectable PFAS levels.
“Based on our findings, PFAS contamination in white-tailed deer is not widespread,” Ryan said.
Based on the information, the DNR isn’t recommending a statewide consumption advisory.
The advisory against consuming deer killed near the JCI/Tyco Fire Technology Center in Marinette County, however, remains in place.