C8. April 29, 2004. The chemical legacy that's in our blood. By Alison Bellamy. Yorkshire Evening Post

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK PESTICIDE PROJECT

Return to Newspaper articles and Documents related to this Class Action

C8 or C-8: PFOA is perfluorooctanoic acid and is sometimes called C8. It is a man-made chemical and does not occur naturally in the environment. The "PFOA" acronym is used to indicate not only perfluorooctanoic acid itself, but also its principal salts.
The PFOA derivative of greatest concern and most wide spread use is the ammonium salt (Ammonium perfluorooctanoate) commonly known as C8, C-8, or APFO and the chemical of concern in the Class Action suit in Ohio.

Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO or C8)
CAS No. 3825-26-1. Molecular formula:

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8)
CAS No: 335-67-1. Molecular formula:

The DuPont site where APFO is used as a reaction aid is the Washington Works (Route 892, Washington, West Virginia 26181) located along the Ohio River approximately seven miles southwest of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The Little Hocking Water Association well field is located in Ohio on the north side of the Ohio River immediately across from the Washington Works facility. Consumers of this drinking water have brought a Class Action suit against the Association and DuPont for the contamination of their drinking water with DuPont's APFO, which residents and media refer to as C8.

PFOA is used as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers to produce hundreds of items such as non-stick surfaces on cookware (TEFLON), protective finishes on carpets (SCOTCHGUARD, STAINMASTER), clothing (GORE-TEX), and the weather-resistant barrier sheeting used on homes under the exterior siding (TYVEK).

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Yorkshire Evening Post - Leeds Today (UK)

April 29, 2004

The chemical legacy that's in our blood

by ALISON BELLAMY

A YORKSHIRE MEP's blood test has revealed contamination from man-made chemicals.
Robert Goodwill, one of 39 MEPs who took part in the blood testing survey, had 27 chemicals in his system.

The MEPs were tested as part of the World Wildlife Fund's Chemicals and Health Campaign to find how household products can cause contamination.

Now there are calls to replace potentially hazards with safer alternatives.

The findings revealed low levels of pesticides in Mr Goodwill's blood – unusual for someone who has worked for over 30 years in agriculture.

But the Yorkshire representative was contaminated with double the sample median levels of PFOS – a perfluorinated chemical which can be found in household products such as non-stick frying pans, stain repellents and floor waxes.

Mr Goodwill, who will not be standing in June's European elections, but is the Conservative party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Scarborough and Whitby, said: "My initial reaction was one of surprise.

Sheep dip

"There were no traces of gamma HCH (commonly known as lindane) in my blood, although this chemical was a component of sheep dip which I have been in contact with in the past as a sheep farmer.

"I have also driven a chemical tanker in the past, but the chemicals showing up were not those I was expecting. It goes to show that exposure to chemical contamination is not restricted to those who work in the chemicals industry.

"It appears that we have chemicals in our blood that could potentially cause problems. We need more information to enable us to take action on those chemicals which could prove harmful to us."

The WWF survey analysed 47 people from 17 countries. It revealed that every person tested is contaminated with a cocktail of bio-accumulative, toxic chemicals. Chemicals banned for decades and associated with a range of health problems, continue to contaminate people today.

For more information, visit www.wwf.org.uk/chemicals.
alison.bellamy@ypn.co.uk