I chose to reflect about the Exposing Forever Chemicals event. Recently I have been more aware of the things I eat due to the chemicals used to preserve foods. What we ingest significantly effects our health which is why I wanted to watch this event. I wanted to learn more about the topic and the effects it has right here in Maine. 

            This event taught me that the contamination can come from the fertilizer farmers use making it hard to locate the exact part of the farm that is contaminated. This event built on my knowledge about the risk of chemical contamination in bottled water. It made me aware of the LD 1248 bill which states that companies who extract water in Maine and sell in bottles must be PFAS tested. Some cookware including Teflon can expose you to PFAS contamination which was surprising to me. Certain food packing can also expose consumers food to PFAS contamination. This surprised me because I did not know chemical contamination could be beyond the farm. I was unaware contamination of PFAS could include certain coatings and packaging. I will incorporate what I learned in my nursing career by educating patients on being aware of possible exposures. There is currently not a lot of research or funding behind research on chemical contamination. As a nurse it’ll be important to connect patterns and actively listen to our patients when they explain their symptoms and asking about diet. We must stay open minded about the possibility of chemical exposures. This event reminded me to always look at my patient wholistically. The patient’s diet, where they live, how they handle their food can impact their risk of contamination. We can always work interprofessional with nutritionist and other healthcare workers.