July 20, 2005
The Athens Messenger (Ohio)
Independent tests find higher levels of
C8
By Callie Lyons
Higher than anticipated levels of C8 detected
in the blood serum of a few Little Hocking Water Association customers
are elevating concerns over the DuPont manufacturing chemical
that has contaminated local water supplies.
"The results to me seem very high," said Robert Griffin,
water district general manager. "We have been concerned about
the exposure of our customers and we need information to make
decisions -- both short term and long term."
C8, also known as PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid, was first detected
in several area drinking water supplies in 2002 -- the result
of plant emissions from the nearby DuPont Washington Works Plant,
which uses the chemical as a processing aid in the production
of Teflon.
As a consequence of a class action lawsuit filed against DuPont
in Wood County Circuit Court by area water consumers who fear
the long-term effects of C8 exposure, a broad health study is
under way and will attempt to test 60,000 of the estimated 80,000
people with contaminated water supplies. The C8 Health Project
is expected to be completed within a year.
However, in order to learn more about C8
exposure in local people more quickly, the Little Hocking Water
Association paid for independent testing on 25 current customers.
The water system primarily serves Washington County, but extends
into a portion of eastern Athens County.
Griffin made results of the tests public Tuesday in a letter
to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The results show levels of PFOA varying
from a low of 112 parts per billion in a female aged 36-45 who
consumed area water for nine years, to a high of 1,040 parts per
billion in a male aged 36-45 who consumed area water for 37 years.
No trends are apparent in the data as the
second-highest level of 629 parts per billion appeared in a male
under the age of 15 who consumed Little Hocking Association water
for only 3 years. The three highest
levels appear in males and the highest reading for a female
is 488 parts per billion for someone aged 16-25 who consumed area
water for 16 years.
The Little Hocking Water Association tested
the 25 consumers not only for PFOA and its sister chemical PFOS,
the voluntarily banned 3M Scotchgard chemical, but the Association
also tested for the presence of ten other, similar chemicals.
Axys Analytical Services, LTD, a Canada-based laboratory, performed
the testing.
"This tells us we need more information about this,"
Griffin said. "We are concerned about the other chemicals
as well. We believe they are related to the same source."
Last week, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington DC-based
scientific research, advocacy and watchdog group, released a new
study indicating that PFOA can also be found in the bloodstream
of newborn babies.
"This study finding 20 chemicals in newborn babies shows
that pollution does move from mother to baby," said Dr. Tim
Kropp, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group.
The groundbreaking study examined the blood of 10 babies born
in August and September of 2004 in U.S. hospitals. Ultimately,
the study detected 287 different chemicals, chemical compounds,
toxic by-products, and pesticides that were polluting the blood
of newborn babies immediately after birth. Included in the chemical
testing were eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants
in fast food packaging, clothes and textiles - including the Teflon
chemical PFOA.
This is the first publicly acknowledged study revealing the detection
of PFOA in newborn blood.
"In the 10 babies whose blood we tested, all of them had
indestructible, cancer-causing Teflon chemicals in them at birth,
so they are already polluted during their first, most vulnerable
and sensitive years," Kropp said. "DuPont and other
chemical companies should be held responsible for polluting air,
water, and people near their plants and in the rest of the country
as well."
The DuPont Co. maintains their stance that the presence of the
chemical in local drinking water supplies does not constitute
a risk to the people who consume it.
"Based on existing scientific data, DuPont believes that
PFOA exposure does not pose any health risk to the general public,"
said Chris Caldwell, regional public affairs manager for DuPont.
"To date, no human health effects are known to be caused
by PFOA - even in workers who have significantly higher exposure
levels than the general population."
However, as concerns mount, the Little Hocking Water Association
is looking to DuPont to take immediate action to provide their
customers with water for consumption that has not been contaminated
with C8. Water delivered to Little Hocking Water Association customers
has been measured with levels as high as 7.2 parts per billion.
No safe level of exposure has been established.
"Our concern was high before - this elevates it," Griffin
said. "We are looking for further immediate action, such
as bottled water for cooking and drinking as an interim measure."
* * *
Editor's Note: Griffin's letter and the charted results for C8
and other chemicals can be viewed online at http://docket.epa.gov/edkpub/do/EDKStaffItemDetailView?objectId=090007d4808d4138
