diff --git a/parsons/etl/etl.py b/parsons/etl/etl.py
index a1e9e99570..2bc15081ca 100644
--- a/parsons/etl/etl.py
+++ b/parsons/etl/etl.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import sys
 
 import petl
 
@@ -658,11 +659,20 @@ def unpack_nested_columns_as_rows(self, column, key="id", expand_original=False)
             orig.concat(melted_list)
             # Add unique id column by hashing all the other fields
             if "uid" not in self.columns:
-                orig.add_column(
-                    "uid",
-                    lambda row: hashlib.md5(str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row])),
-                                            usedforsecurity=False).hexdigest(),
-                )
+                if sys.version_info.minor >= 9:
+                    orig.add_column(
+                        "uid",
+                        lambda row: hashlib.md5(
+                            str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row])), usedforsecurity=False
+                        ).hexdigest(),
+                    )
+                elif sys.version_info.minor < 9:
+                    orig.add_column(
+                        "uid",
+                        lambda row: hashlib.md5(
+                            str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row]))
+                        ).hexdigest(),
+                    )
                 orig.move_column("uid", 0)
 
             # Rename value column in case this is done again to this Table
@@ -674,11 +684,18 @@ def unpack_nested_columns_as_rows(self, column, key="id", expand_original=False)
         else:
             orig = self.remove_column(column)
             # Add unique id column by hashing all the other fields
-            melted_list.add_column(
-                "uid",
-                lambda row: hashlib.md5(str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row])),
-                                        usedforsecurity=False).hexdigest(),
-            )
+            if sys.version_info.minor >= 9:
+                melted_list.add_column(
+                    "uid",
+                    lambda row: hashlib.md5(
+                        str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row])), usedforsecurity=False
+                    ).hexdigest(),
+                )
+            elif sys.version_info.minor < 9:
+                melted_list.add_column(
+                    "uid",
+                    lambda row: hashlib.md5(str.encode("".join([str(x) for x in row]))).hexdigest(),
+                )
             melted_list.move_column("uid", 0)
             output = melted_list