Residents found with elevated levels of PFOA
No ill health effects found during preliminary study of people living next to plant.
Southeastern Ohio residents living near a DuPont production plant have on average 386 parts per billion of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) in their blood. Although this level is 70 times higher than that in the general U.S. population, residents do not appear to suffer any adverse effects, according to data released on August 15 from the first independent epidemiological study of the chemical. Led by University of Pennsylvania physician Edward Emmett, researchers tested 324 residents from 160 households but did not find abnormal biomarkers for thyroid, kidney, or liver function. They did not detect increased cholesterol levels, either.
Other studies have found that highly exposed workers have elevated total cholesterol. Drinking water drawn from the Ohio River is the major source of the residents’ exposure, and the elderly and young showed the highest levels of PFOA.
Concentrations did not appear to be affected by gender, smoking, drinking alcohol, or consuming local meat and fish. Eating fruits and vegetables appeared to increase concentrations. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funded the study, which did not check for developmental effects of PFOA exposure.
