West Virginia’s Water Contains an Unsafe Amount of Teflon

The Ohio River Valley in West Virginia used to be a base of operations for DuPont, where is manufactured a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, usually abbreviated to PFOA or C8. It was used in a variety of products, but the best known among non-scientists or engineers is Teflon. The risks have been known since the 1990s, but a new study by Philippe Grandjean (Harvard School of Public Health) and Richard Clapp (University of Massachusetts-Lowell) shows that “that levels [of PFOA] in many water systems are ‘at least two orders of magnitude’ higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency advises is safe,” according to the Environmental Working Group.

“The new science indicates that all the PFOA standards are more than 1,000 times too weak to fully protect public health,” according to Bill Walker, who co-authored the EWG report. “Even the lowest level detected in nationwide water sampling is about five times higher than what the research says would be dangerous.”

There have been lawsuits stemming out of West Virginia and Ohio for the last 10 years, when DuPont was first fined $16.5 million by the Environmental Protection Agency for contaminating the water. Those lawsuits are finally seeing the light of day now in September of 2015, as the first of around 3,500 personal injury claims goes to trial in Ohio.

What the EPA says

The EPA warns that PFOA can stay in the environment, as well as in the human body, for a very long time. Their own research linked PFOAs to developmental problems, as well as other “adverse effects,” to lab animals, but they readily admit that their work is not yet done, and more studies must be conducted to calculate an accurate risk assessment.

Why you should care

Though the EPA has not finished its studies, other organizations have been conducting research of their own. The American Cancer Association has found a link between PFOA exposure and an increased risk of developing bladder cancer, kidney cancer and testicular cancer; the most recent study looked specifically at DuPont plant workers and residents in that area of West Virginia. They also found that “some studies have suggested that higher than average PFOA blood levels in humans is linked to higher than normal cholesterol levels, thyroid disease, and reduced fertility.” Because these effects were not present in all workers or residents exposed to PFOA – even those with exceptionally high exposure –“it isn’t clear what health effects can be expected from PFOA exposure.”

The West Virginia workers who experienced serious injuries and deteriorating health conditions because of PFOA exposure have been fighting for a long time. We sincerely hope that they find the justice they seek, and the compensation they need, now that the trials have begun.