The news media reports below are a sample of the most recent news coverage on C8 related issues. . We try to monitor the links to the extent possible, and make note of expirations when they occur. Please e-mail regarding any additional news stories that may be of significance to C8 contamination issues and related science.
New Study Links C8 to Thyroid Disease (Parkersburg News and Sentinel, January 23, 2010) Chemical May Be Linked To Thyroid Disease (WebMD, January 21, 2010)
"Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has previously been shown to influence thyroid hormone levels in animals. But the newly reported study is among the first to suggest that exposure to PFOA might cause thyroid disease in humans." Salynn Boyles, WebMD Health News
Can Microwave Popcorn Cause Infertility? (Merry Chin, NY Pregnancy Examiner, December 17, 2009) Chin concludes: "These recent findings definitely warrant more research to be done in this area so that necessary risk warnings can be placed alerting consumers and especially couples trying to conceive. In the meantime, you may want to consider air-popped popcorn."
Occurrence of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylates and Sulfonates in Drinking Water Utilities and Related Waters from the United States (Environmental Science & Technology, accepted October 26, 2009, Oscar Quinones and Shane A. Snyder) ". . . it is probable that increasing WWTP effluents and increasing demands for water reuse will lead to greater PFC loading to drinking water sources. Therefore, a better understanding of the distribution, toxicity, and fate of PFCs remains essential as it pertains to human health and to PFC burden on the environment in general."
Dupont Pushing for Weaker Limits on PFOA (Charleston Gazette, November 9, 2009) Dupont is leading a new push by industry to weaken water pollution limits on PFOA (C8). Ken Ward's "Sustained Outrage" blog hilights a new story from Inside EPA in which writer Maria Hegstad summarizes industry efforts that occurred in an October 15, 16 closed meeting between industry's hired gun scientists and EPA Office of Water staff representatives.
PFOA Linked to Increased Cholesterol in General Population (Charleston Gazette, November 2, 2009) Gazette investigative reporter Ken Ward describes a Boston University study in which researchers found that “. . . for every additional 1 part per billion of C8 in the blood, researchers found a corresponding increase in total cholesterol levels of 1.22 milligrams per deciliter.” Ward also summarizes the significance of the update in his related blog. Federal judge throws out most of C8 suit against DuPont (WV Gazette, September 28, 2009) A federal judge on Monday dismissed most of a lawsuit filed against chemical giant DuPont Co. by Parkersburg residents over the pollution of their city's water with the toxic chemical C8. EPA unveils plan to review 6 controversial chemicals, reform US toxics policy (Environmental Health News, September 29, 2009) The C8 Health Project: Design, Methods, and Participants (Environmental Health Perspectives, July 13, 2009) This is the first published article providing a comprehensive description of the C8 Health Project. The article is very well written, quite detailed, and most informative for such a compact paper. Protocols and methods of the Brookmar Health Project are reviewed by a consortium of authors (corresponding author is Stephanie Frisbee). The C8 Health Project data was acquired through the work of an independent Brookmar team of health professionals compiled by A. Paul Brooks, MD and Arthur A. Maher MHA, with assistance of project manager Patsy Flensborg, BA and records manager Susan Arnold, MPA. Transfer of the Brookmar project data to a computerized database was implemented by information technology specialist Troy Young and his staff at CPR Solutions Group. Data integrity/confidentiality issues, compilation, summaries, and scientific analysis were conducted under the direction of Alan Ducatman MD, MSc, Professor and Chair of the Department of Community Medicine (West Virginia University School of Medicine) and his project team with substantial participation and efforts of WVU Department of Community Medicine research instructor Stephanie Frisbee, MSc. One point relevant to scientific observers is that on page 18 the authors describe “A mechanism is currently being sought wherein an agency, likely of the federal government, would maintain and make it accessible a de-identified dataset for public research use.” That statement may be subject to misinterpretation if it gives the inference that the planned “mechanism” may be the only avenue for access to the de-identified raw data. Interested scientists should be advised that there is provision for access to the de-identified data by any credible institution, agency, or researchers if the judge is satisfied that the proposed research serves a valid purpose. The procedure and guidelines for such access are outlined beginning with the last paragraph on page three of the Order filing the data. Predictors of PFOA Levels in a Community Surrounding a Chemical Plant (Environmental Health Perspectives, July 2009) This is the first publication of a news or scientific article based upon information derived from the Brookmar C8 Health Project. In the article, protocols and tabulated results from the Brookmar Health Project are reviewed by a consortium of authors.
Opinion shifting against chemical (Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch, May 26, 2009) "C8, a chemical Dupont uses to make Teflon, has come under fire. A US Environmental Protection Agency science panel declared the chemical a "likely carcinogen" but the government has yet to act."
C8 Science Panel Press Conference, March 26th, 2009 (Please note, this is a 1 hour video and may take a long period of time to download to your computer.) Science Panel to Meet Press, Not Public, Sustained Outrage - a Gazette Watchdog Blog (Ken Ward, Charleston Gazette) C8 Science Panel Secrecy, Sustained Outrage - a Gazette Watchdog Blog (Ken Ward, Charleston Gazette) C8 Science Panel finds link to immune changes (Ken Ward, Charleston Gazette, March 20, 2009) "The three-person C8 Science Panel found 'several significant associations' between the level of C8 in people's blood and the levels of disease-fighting antibodies. . . . The panel's findings mirror those made public nearly a year ago by researchers at West Virginia University, who are examining the same data." (See related WVU Webcast May 7, 2008)
EPA's C8 advisory does not address long-term risks (Ken Ward, Charleston Gazette, January 17, 2009) "Federal officials said Friday that a new C8 health advisory is not intended to address long-term exposure, drawing criticism that the action does nothing for Americans who have for years been drinking water contaminated with toxic chemical." New data increases the level of concern over C8 exposure (Environmental Working Group, October 20, 2008)
Perfluorooctanoic acid, commonly known as PFOA or C8, is one of a class of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been detected in the urine and blood of nearly all Americans tested in bioassays. “This latest report is just more evidence that this Teflon chemical is far more toxic than originally thought and is dangerous at levels found in the population at large,” said Environmental Working Group (EWG) Senior Scientist Olga Naidenko. C8 levels linked to high cholesterol (Charleston Gazette, October 14, 2008) Manufacturing Uncertainty (Chemical & Engineering News, November 17, 2008)
In this review of David Michael's book, Doubt Is Their Product, How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, Chemical & Engineering News writer Brett E. Erickson discusses tactics used by industry to manufacture doubt, manipulate science, and influence regulatory policy The article prominently features Dupont's Washington Works plant and Dupont's tactics to avoid regulation of perfluorooctanoic acid (C8).
C8
study backs up lawsuit, judge told (Charleston Gazette, August 6, 2008) California legislation would ban PFOA and similar compounds from food packaging sold in California by 2010 (Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2008) A bill pending in the California legislature
will ban C8 from food packaging by 2010. It has been approved by
the Senate and passed by the Assembly Health Committee. Bill Walker,
vice president of EWG says, "There's never been a chemical
found that affects animals but has no effect on humans." Dupont's
spokesman claims that there is no evidence that PFOA is harmful
to humans. Expert
Disqualified From C8 Lawsuit (Gazette 6/11/08) C6
of One, Half Dozen of the Other (Grist 6/10/08) C8
Meeting (WTAP 6/10/08) Dupont
Studies Cancer Rates Among Employees (Parkersburg News 6/10/08) Safety
of C8 Substitutes Questioned (Charleston Gazette 6/10/08) Dupont
Plans Detailed Cancer Study at W. Va. Plant (Hemscott Group, Limited 6/9/08) Acquiring
C8 Results (Parkersburg News 5/28/08) Endocrine Disruptors In Common Plastics Linked to Obesity Risk (Science Daily 5/15/08) In an experiment outlined at the conference of the European Congress on Obesity, Suzanne Fenton, a research biologist at the US Environmental Protection Agency, found that when PFOA was given to pregnant mice, their offspring were unusually small at birth then became overweight as adults. C8 Timeline (Columbus Dispatch, February 16, 2003)
This document link is Michael Hawthorne's (Columbus Dispatch) excellent timeline of events related to Dupont's use of C8 and the history of Dupont's knowledge of the impact of C8 upon animals and humans. See also Hawthorne's related article featuring the book, Our Stolen Future "Industry memos show Dupont knew for decades that a chemical used to make Teflon is polluting workers and neighbors."
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C-8 NEWS COVERAGE