New advice from the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry indicates that parents who live near Parkersburg, West Virginia should purchase pre-mixed baby formula instead of mixing powdered formula with water contaminated with C8.
While research is ongoing to determine whether human health is negatively impacted by exposure to the manufacturing substance, the agency cited developmental effects as “the most sensitive adverse response to PFOA exposure”.
Based on their concerns, the agency advises local people to reduce exposure for vulnerable populations (pregnant women, women of childbearing age, children and seniors) as much as possible. It also states that it is prudent public health practice for caregivers in the area to reduce infant exposure by using only premixed baby formula.
The directive was issued to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources on February 10. Two ATSDR officials were charged with the responsibility of assisting the West Virginia Department of Public Health in communicating the message to area residents and helping them understand the recommendations.
Considering that the directive was not made public by either of the agencies involved, it is not clear exactly how they intended to communicate the recommendations to impacted residents.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
WVDEP Fines DuPont for Discharging "Unpermitted Pollutants"
DuPont is facing a fine in excess of $1.6 million for environmental violations and exceedance of state permits at the Washington Works wastewater treatment facility and two closed landfills in Wood County.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection found that the local plant violated the Water Pollution Control Act and the Solid Waste Management Act. An administrative consent order signed this week is intended to settle violations that were observed by the state agency from 2004 to 2008.
The funds will go to the state’s Water Quality Management Fund.
DuPont is required to immediately report any spills to the agency by means of a designated spill hotline, but in May 2006 the company failed to do so after discharging 2,487 pounds of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene liquid. FEP is a Teflon application manufactured with the controversial chemical known as C8 or PFOA.*
In other instances, DEP says spills were reported, but resulted in violations because the company is prohibited from releasing unpermitted pollutants into state waters. Storm water and landfill violations were also cited in the consent order.
*According to DuPont's own internal correspondence. FEP is used in Teflon applications for flexible products like tubing, plastic sheeting, and o-rings.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection found that the local plant violated the Water Pollution Control Act and the Solid Waste Management Act. An administrative consent order signed this week is intended to settle violations that were observed by the state agency from 2004 to 2008.
The funds will go to the state’s Water Quality Management Fund.
DuPont is required to immediately report any spills to the agency by means of a designated spill hotline, but in May 2006 the company failed to do so after discharging 2,487 pounds of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene liquid. FEP is a Teflon application manufactured with the controversial chemical known as C8 or PFOA.*
In other instances, DEP says spills were reported, but resulted in violations because the company is prohibited from releasing unpermitted pollutants into state waters. Storm water and landfill violations were also cited in the consent order.
*According to DuPont's own internal correspondence. FEP is used in Teflon applications for flexible products like tubing, plastic sheeting, and o-rings.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
EPA Limits C8 in MOV Drinking Water
The EPA is tightening the restriction on C8 in drinking water.
The federal agency issued a consent order today lowering the action level for the manufacturing chemical in public water supplies to 0.4 parts per billion. That’s down from the 0.5 parts per billion prescribed by the agency in 2006. The consent order was prompted by a recent provisional health advisory for C8 - the first of its kind from the EPA.
The new action level is intended to reduce levels of PFOA exposure for people who live in the Mid Ohio Valley near DuPont Washington Works while the EPA completes research and a risk assessment on the chemical's impact on public health.
The new order means that DuPont will have to perform additional testing of surrounding areas to insure that public and private water systems do not contain C8 levels exceeding 0.4 parts per billion.
The federal agency issued a consent order today lowering the action level for the manufacturing chemical in public water supplies to 0.4 parts per billion. That’s down from the 0.5 parts per billion prescribed by the agency in 2006. The consent order was prompted by a recent provisional health advisory for C8 - the first of its kind from the EPA.
The new action level is intended to reduce levels of PFOA exposure for people who live in the Mid Ohio Valley near DuPont Washington Works while the EPA completes research and a risk assessment on the chemical's impact on public health.
The new order means that DuPont will have to perform additional testing of surrounding areas to insure that public and private water systems do not contain C8 levels exceeding 0.4 parts per billion.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Brownrigg Documentary
There's quite a bit of C8 news to catch up on, but in the meantime here's a link to a preview of a documentary by WOUB's Kirsten Brownrigg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2jzNK0NDm8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2jzNK0NDm8
Friday, January 16, 2009
EPA Issues Provisional Health Advisory on PFOA/PFOS in Drinking Water
The feds have issued a health advisory for C8 in drinking water.
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a provisional health advisory of 0.4 parts per billion for C8, slightly stricter than the temporary benchmark of 0.5 parts per billion which had been established for drinking water in the Mid Ohio Valley.
Though epidemiological studies are inconclusive as to health effects for humans, the agency formula takes into account the uncertainty over the safety of the manufacturing chemical for humans.
The health advisory issued this week includes the substances PFOA and PFOS, which are both known for their durability and water and grease resistant properties. The provisional health advisory for PFOS, also familiar as the Scotchgard chemical, was set at 0.2 parts per billion.
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a provisional health advisory of 0.4 parts per billion for C8, slightly stricter than the temporary benchmark of 0.5 parts per billion which had been established for drinking water in the Mid Ohio Valley.
Though epidemiological studies are inconclusive as to health effects for humans, the agency formula takes into account the uncertainty over the safety of the manufacturing chemical for humans.
The health advisory issued this week includes the substances PFOA and PFOS, which are both known for their durability and water and grease resistant properties. The provisional health advisory for PFOS, also familiar as the Scotchgard chemical, was set at 0.2 parts per billion.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Feds Expected to Issue C8 Health Advisory
The Mid Ohio Valley controversy over C8 all began with the wasting of an entire herd of cattle on the Tennant farm near Parkersburg. This week the feds are expected to issue a health warning about drinking water with C8 in it, and it's all because of potentially contaminated beef that made its way into the food supply.
The Charleston Gazette broke the story yesterday.
A draft advisory recommends reducing consumption of water that contains more than 0.4 parts per billion of C8. That's more stringent than the 0.5 parts per billion benchmark currently on the books for areas around DuPont Washington Works where contamination was found in several public water systems.
Interestingly, President Barack Obama has named Lisa Jackson to head the Environmental Protection Agency under his administration. Jackson is currently with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the agency which imposes the strictest rule for C8 contamination - still ten times harsher than the amount cited by the latest draft advisory from the EPA.
The EPA and Food and Drug Administration have recently become concerned over beef that entered the food supply, which may have been contaminated as the cattle were grazing on land in Alabama where industrial sludge had been disposed of. If the beef is found to be contaminated, it would be the first time perfluorochemicals could be traced from sludge to commercially produced food.
It is worth noting that the EPA's draft advisory does not mention food contamination - just drinking water.
The Charleston Gazette broke the story yesterday.
A draft advisory recommends reducing consumption of water that contains more than 0.4 parts per billion of C8. That's more stringent than the 0.5 parts per billion benchmark currently on the books for areas around DuPont Washington Works where contamination was found in several public water systems.
Interestingly, President Barack Obama has named Lisa Jackson to head the Environmental Protection Agency under his administration. Jackson is currently with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the agency which imposes the strictest rule for C8 contamination - still ten times harsher than the amount cited by the latest draft advisory from the EPA.
The EPA and Food and Drug Administration have recently become concerned over beef that entered the food supply, which may have been contaminated as the cattle were grazing on land in Alabama where industrial sludge had been disposed of. If the beef is found to be contaminated, it would be the first time perfluorochemicals could be traced from sludge to commercially produced food.
It is worth noting that the EPA's draft advisory does not mention food contamination - just drinking water.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Faroese Whale Meat Contaminated with PFCs
Researchers are finding that people who live in the islands between Norway and Iceland have something in common with residents of the Mid Ohio Valley – elevated levels of PFCs in their blood.
Perfluorinated chemicals like PFOA or C8, which is used in the manufacture of Teflon and thousands of other consumer products, have been detected in the blood of people who eat whale meat in the North Atlantic.
Previously most exposure was thought to come from living near industrial facilities that use the substances or from consumer products and household items like carpets or furniture. The new research may indicate that the family of manmade chemicals has spread worldwide.
A recent study revealed that a single meal with whale meat once every two weeks was associated with a 25 percent increase in exposure.
Perfluorinated chemicals like PFOA or C8, which is used in the manufacture of Teflon and thousands of other consumer products, have been detected in the blood of people who eat whale meat in the North Atlantic.
Previously most exposure was thought to come from living near industrial facilities that use the substances or from consumer products and household items like carpets or furniture. The new research may indicate that the family of manmade chemicals has spread worldwide.
A recent study revealed that a single meal with whale meat once every two weeks was associated with a 25 percent increase in exposure.
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