Study finds half of residents living near 3M site have high levels of PFAS in blood
Almost half of the teenagers and adults living near the 3M site in Flanders who participated in a large-scale blood test have PFAS levels that are above the European Food Safety Authority guideline values. The region's department of Care announced the data at a press conference on Tuesday.
PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals", are a group of human-made chemicals used widely in consumer products that take thousands of years to break down. There has been a downward trend in PFOS – one of the main types of PFAS – since a smaller study in 2021.
A total of 8,568 people living within 5km of the 3M site in Zwijndrecht, near the port of Antwerp, participated in the study, which investigated a range of PFAS types. The most common were PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS. 48 per cent of participants recorded levels above the EFSA reference values.
Adverse long-term health effects cannot be ruled out in those who show excessive values, though the department of Care says this is a risk factor and not an automatically expected consequence.
The study investigated possible health effects based on a survey of the participants. Impaired thyroid function and liver function were more frequently reported in people with higher PFAS levels. Fewer reports were made of effects such as asthma or impaired kidney function.
There is no comparison available with the rest of the region. The most recent figures for the whole of Flanders date back 11 years.
The researchers also note that the measurements were only tested against the existing guideline values for linear PFAS and not for branched PFAS. For the latter, there is still too much measurement variation and uncertainty. The figures are therefore likely to underestimate the total amount of PFAS in the participants’ blood.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © PHOTO ANP / HOLLANDSE HOOGTE / PETER HILZ
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