Residents of the Channel Islands of Jersey exposed to "forever chemicals" for decades have shown abnormally high levels of PFAS in their blood.
What's happening?
The toxic chemicals persist in the environment and human bodies for hundreds if not thousands of years. In New Jersey, the contamination occurred from foam used to fight fires at the Jersey airport, the Guardian reported. Of 88 residents tested, 70% were found to have unsafe levels of perfluorohexanesulfonic acid.
High levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, a carcinogen, were detected in 18% of people; 30% had high levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate, which may be carcinogenic, according to the Guardian. Except for certain specific exemptions, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants bans the use of these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
The compounds have infiltrated public and private drinking water supplies as well as crops, and people are still at risk because frequent droughts can force Jersey Water to turn to contaminated sources, the Guardian reported.
The Jersey government appointed an independent scientific panel to advise it on PFAS policy.
"It's the biggest cover-up that's ever happened on this island," resident Debbie Thorn told the Guardian. "The scientific panel is doing what any should do, but it's the government's way to provide lip service."
Why is this important?
"PFAS, a family of more than 10,000 chemicals, can build up in the body and are linked to conditions such as kidney and bladder cancer, thyroid disease, and immune deficiency," the Guardian reported.
PFAS are commonly used in nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant clothing. They are also found in firefighting equipment.
The Jersey firefighting foam, which was used from the 1960s and found in groundwater in the 1990s, was produced by 3M. The company stopped making the foam around the time executives met with island leaders about the issue in 2000, per the Guardian. Residents were not moved to a different water supply for six years.
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"Why did they allow us to keep drinking the well water all that time?" Graeme Farmer said to the Guardian. Farmer lived next to the airport in the '90s and has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which has been linked to PFAS exposure.
What's being done about affected residents?
In addition to appointing a scientific panel, the government recommended bloodletting to remove the chemical compounds from residents. A member of the advisory panel said it was an "effective" solution to the problem but that it would not guarantee the prevention or curing of diseases linked to PFAS, per the Guardian.
The drug cholestyramine can treat PFAS in blood more quickly and cheaply, though there are "possible side effects." Bloodletting costs £100,000 upfront (around $124,000) and £200,000 per year (around $248,000) for 50 people, the newspaper stated.
In 2005, the Jersey government agreed to forgo legal claims against 3M in exchange for £2.6 million in cleanup costs (around $3.2 million). The island also must help 3M defend itself against future claims, the Guardian reported, and it asked the company to approve the residents' blood tests. "The state got an agreement to do individual blood tests, but not screening, as that could be the first step towards a possible class action lawsuit," an anonymous source said.
A 3M spokesperson told the Guardian that the company is on track to stop using PFAS in all its manufacturing by the end of the year.
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