ADEM’s tests did not evaluate water samples taken from the area closest to the dump, Butler said. And while PFAS compounds are certainly common, he said, experts have concluded that elevated levels in the human body can be a legitimate health concern.
At this month’s meeting, many residents agreed with Butler and expressed lack of confidence that ADEM and government officials are looking out for residents on and around the Moody property.
Provided by Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
Jeff Wickliffe, dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Environmental Health Sciences, told those gathered that more data is needed to fully understand how the site may have affected nearby residents. He said he believes it is necessary.
Mr Wycliffe said it was difficult to believe claims that only plant material was burned at the site, given the levels present in the water, as there are no natural sources of permanent chemicals. He argued that other waste materials were likely present to produce the levels of PFAS compounds present in the emissions from the Moody site.
For example, if PFAS are present in a population’s blood, questions about their source can be answered by background measurements of individuals who have not been exposed to the effects of fire and associated pollution, Wickliffe said.
By testing residents’ blood and urine for the presence of such compounds, local residents could have at least one measure of documenting the potential health effects of Moody’s site. He said that there is.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), increased exposure to PFAS compounds can increase cholesterol, reduce birth weight, lower antibody responses to vaccines, and lead to gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, kidney cancer, and cancer. May increase risk of testicular cancer.
Risk of health effects According to the federal agency, exposure from PFAS is determined by exposure factors such as dose, frequency, and duration, as well as individual factors such as susceptibility and disease burden.
