May 6: Breast milk contains C8, study concludes
CHARLESTON, WV -- "C8 and related chemicals used in nonstick pans and stain-resistant fabrics have been found in human breast milk, according to the first major U.S. study to examine breast-feeding as a possible exposure route. Perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, were found in all of the 45 human breast milk samples tested in the new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology," Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette.
Apr 25: Dust a possible C8 source, EPA study says
CHARLESTON, WV -- "Household dust could rival food packaging as a potential major route for human exposure to C8 and related toxic chemicals, two federal government scientists conclude in a new study. C8 and other perfluorinated compounds were found in 95 percent of the dust samples in homes in Ohio and North Carolina, according to the study by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency experts... Lindstrom and Mark Strynar, an EPA physical scientist, tested dust taken from vacuum cleaner bags from 100 homes and 10 day-care centers for C8 and other perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs," Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette. Apr 24: Aerosols complicate PFOA picture
Riding the waves—could the oceans be a source of PFOA to the air?
WASHINGTON, DC -- "A largely discounted wrinkle in the chemistry of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) indicates that this ubiquitous chemical moves into the air more readily than previously thought, according to new research. Experts say that the findings could have implications for PFOA's fate in the environment, but they caution against extrapolating these laboratory results to the real world without field-based verification. PFOA is the best known of the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates, and the U.S. EPA has classified it as a likely human carcinogen. Animal studies indicate that perfluorinated chemicals affect the liver, neonatal development, the immune system, and hormone levels. Until recently, PFOA had been widely used in stain repellents, polishes, and paper coatings. Manufacturers have begun voluntary efforts to eliminate its use," Rebecca Renner, Environmental Science and Technology.
Apr 5: Study finds high levels of Teflon chemical in residents' blood
 Scientist studies a Teflon chemical. |
Mar 5: Higher cancer, stroke risk found in C8 workers
 The 3M production facility in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. |
Mar 4: Bill would ban ‘Teflon chemicals’ in food packaging
SACRAMENTO, CA -- "A bill to ban the use of chemicals used to make Teflon from being used in fast food packaging is making its way through the California Legislature.
French-fry containers, pizza boxes and many other types of food packages have stain-proof or grease-proof linings made with perfluorochemicals, called PFCs for short... The bill, sponsored by Environmental Working Group, would prohibit more than trace amounts of PFCs called PFOS and PFOA in any material used to package food, beginning in 2010," Central Valley Business Times.
Feb 5: U.S. manufacturers significantly reduce PFOA emissions
WARRIEWOOD, AUSTRALIA -- "Eight major companies have reported significant drops in the release of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and related chemicals, putting industry on target to meet a 95 percent reduction goal in PFOA emissions and product content by 2010. Further reductions are anticipated by 2015. PFOA, also known as C8, is a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, which are used to provide non-stick surfaces on cookware and waterproof, breathable clothing," Azom.
Jan 29: You're invited...
 Recently, Callie Lyons received the Uncovering the Truth Award from Ohio Citizen Action. Art by Angela Oster. |
|---|
Jan 17, 2008: Italian Study raises new questions about C8 exposure from Teflon
LITTLE HOCKING -- "A new study from Italy seems to indicate that C8 migrates into food from Teflon more easily than estimated by U.S. scientists. Although PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid can be found in the blood of most people in very small amounts, it's been claimed for some time that Teflon was not significant contributor to human exposure. It's also been thought that C8 migration into food from Teflon coated products was most likely to occur once the cookware had been damaged in some way or when the coating began to degrade. The new findings seem to fly in the face of those old claims," Callie Lyons, WMOA .
Dec 26, 2007: Some still uneasy about drinking Little Hocking water
LITTLE HOCKING -- "Nearly a month after DuPont ended its two-year bottled water delivery program for customers of the Little Hocking Water Association, local residents say they’re getting used to drinking water straight from the tap.
Still, David Edwards of Little Hocking said he’s a bit hesitant to start using the local water again.
'I’m a little leery of drinking the tap water after not doing that for so long. I have to assume they have fixed the problem, but I’m not totally sure,' he said.
C8, also known as PFOA (ammonium perfluorooctanoate), is used in the Teflon-manufacturing process at DuPont’s Washington Works plant 13 miles south of Marietta," Sam Shawver, Marietta Times.
Dec 11: Wikiscanning
NEW YORK, NY -- "When Virgil Griffith, a 24-year-old hacker, heard reports that Congressional staff members had been caught altering Wikipedia for the benefit of their boss, he got to thinking of all the other kinds of spin occurring on the site... Someone at DuPont appears to have deleted the health risks of polytetrafluoroethylene, a chemical used to make Teflon, and someone at Diebold seemingly deleted paragraphs regarding security-industry concerns about their voting machines as well as the news that Diebold’s C.E.O. had raised money for President Bush,'" Emily Biuso, New York Times Magazine. Published November 9.Wikiscanner
Dec 7: DuPont keeps bottled water flowing to Little Hocking customers
LITTLE HOCKING -- "Delivery of supplies has ended, but DuPont has agreed to continue to provide bottled water for customers of the Little Hocking Water Association until a new filtration plant is reducing the amount of C8 found in the water below the action level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The water association serves customers in parts of eight townships in western Washington County and Rome Township and Troy Township in Athens County.
Late Friday afternoon, DuPont officials released a statement indicating their intention to continue the alternative drinking water program on a reimbursement basis only," Callie Lyons, Athens Messenger.
Nov 28: DuPont says filters work, will stop paying for bottled water
LITTLE HOCKING -- "DuPont has spent $6 million since 2005 to keep 12,000 residents in the Little Hocking area from drinking a chemical the company uses to make Teflon. The company has spent $3 million on bottled water and $3 million on a drinking-water filter system that should protect against C8, a chemical that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls a 'likely' carcinogen. Tests of the filters installed at the Little Hocking Water Association show that they remove all detectable levels of C8, DuPont spokeswoman Robin Ollis said yesterday," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch. Nov 5: Little Hocking filtration system on line
LITTLE HOCKING -- "One of the last of the required filtration plans designed to remove C8 from area drinking water supplies is now on line. The granular activated carbon system for the Little Hocking Water District began its first day of operations Friday... C8 is used by Dupont Washington Works in the manufacture of Teflon. It has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board as a likely carcinogen. DuPont has been funding bottled water delivery to Little Hocking water customers for more than two years and says it will continue to do so through November 30th," Todd Baucher, WTAP. Published November 2.
Oct 16: No criminal charges over Teflon chemical
Review complete at DuPont plant
WILMINGTON, DE -- "The U.S. Department of Justice has decided not to bring criminal charges against the DuPont Co. for its handling of a chemical used to make Teflon cookware and coatings for thousands of other products... Ken Cook, president of Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group, said DuPont has made progress on curbing use of the compounds that were the focus of documents targeted in the subpoena. But the company stumbled badly in the past, said Cook, whose group was among the first to press DuPont on PFOA," Jeff Montgomery, Delaware News Journal.
Feds will not pursue charges against DuPont in C8 probe, Wood plant has used chemical for over 50 years, Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette.
Aug 29: Water filtration system on track: DuPont requests permit to allow discharge into unnamed tributary
PARKERSBURG, WV -- "A request for a permit filed this month by DuPont’s Washington Works plant is another step in the months-long construction of a water filtration system intended to remove the chemical C8 from Little Hocking’s water supply. Construction of the filtration system, which began last winter, is still on track to be finished in late September, DuPont spokeswoman Robin Ollis said Tuesday... C8, also known as PFOA (ammonium perfluorooctanoate), is used in the Teflon manufacturing process at DuPont’s Washington Works plant, across the Ohio River from Little Hocking and Belpre," Kate York, Marietta Times.
Aug 23: Chemicals tied to low birth size
Research adds to data on DuPont products
WILMINGTON, DE -- "Chemicals used in stick- and stain-resistant products are reaching children in the womb and may be tied to "small decreases" in the size and weight of newborns, two studies by Johns Hopkins University researchers indicate. The findings from the University's School of Public Health are the latest in a growing wave of scientific investigations, triggered by concern over the discovery that perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoate acids, called PFOA, are present in human and animal blood around the globe," Jeff Montgomery, Delaware News Journal.
Aug 14: C8 blood levels down for people who avoided water with the chemical
MARIETTA -- "Area residents who participated in bottled water programs or otherwise avoided consuming water containing C8 likely reduced the amount of the DuPont chemical in their blood by 26 percent, according to a University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study...
'A 26 percent reduction in basically a year is pretty good news,' said Dave Freeman, trustee for the Decatur Community Association, a collaborating group in the study," Brad Bauer, Marietta Times. Aug 9: C8 in people = 106 X C8 in water
 Dr. Edward Emmett found that the level of C8 in blood is 106 times the level of C8 in the water consumed. |
|---|
Aug 7: Low C8 levels in city’s wells
MARIETTA -- " Three of six Marietta municipal water wells tested in June for the presence of C8 showed extremely low levels of the chemical.
'They couldn’t find quantifiable amounts in half of the wells tested, and in the other half they found levels that were well below the 0.5 parts per billion actionable level established in negotiations between DuPont and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,' said Dave Sands, city safety-service director," Sam Shawver, Marietta Times. Jul 20: C8 in Marietta's water: 10 parts per trillion
MARIETTA -- "It’s in there, but not very much. Mayor Michael Mullen confirmed Thursday evening that C8 has been detected in Marietta’s water. Finished water was found to contain the manufacturing substance in a concentration of 10 parts per trillion. Safety Service Director Dave Sands said it’s important to remember that the level detected in Marietta’s water is 50 times lower than the interim action level established by EPA, which is 0.5 parts per billion," Callie Lyons, WMOA.
Jul 19: Results from city water tested for C8 may come next week
MARIETTA -- "Marietta residents should know by the end of next week if a controversial DuPont chemical is present in their water after the company recently tested several water sources... Belpre resident Inez Rasmussen said she is interested in learning more about the results. She is a cancer survivor and wonders if the water she has been drinking contributed to her past health problems. 'It’s something I think we all worry about,' said Rasmussen, 65. 'My biggest concern is for my kids. I raised three kids in this area,'" Brad Bauer, Marietta Times.
Jul 7: C8 health survey data posted online
CHARLESTON, WV -- "Researchers have begun to release the first bits of information from a broad mid-Ohio Valley community health study being conducted with money from the settlement of a lawsuit over DuPont Co.’s toxic chemical C8. On Friday, some demographic data and health statistics from the survey were posted online by researchers at West Virginia University. The information is available at www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/c8/index.asp or by clicking the “WVU Data Hosting” button at www.c8healthproject.org/health.htm," Ken Ward Jr, The Charleston Gazette.
Jun 28: Can non-stick chemical spark allergies?
MORGANDOWN, WV -- "Perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) - also used to make all-weather clothing and stain-resistant fabrics and carpets - has already been identified by scientists as 'likely' to be carcinogenic to humans. Now Dr Jean Meade and colleagues at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, West Virginia, have shown it may prime the immune system to overreact to allergy triggers (allergens) such as dust mite or dander," Life Style Extra, UK. Published June 20, 2007.
Jun 22: C8 Science Panel urged to make reports public
PARKERSBURG, WV -- "Three scientists working to discover if the chemical known as C8 affects human health won’t have to make their quarterly progress reports public, although a judge says it could be helpful. Wood County Circuit Judge J.D. Beane said making those reports available through the court would provide valuable information to the public, but he stopped short of ordering it. Currently, the C8 Science Panel’s quarterly reports are provided to the two parties in a lawsuit that led to the creation of the panel — DuPont Co. and plaintiffs who live within six water districts in the Mid-Ohio Valley," Tom Breen, Associated Press, The Times West Virginian.
PARKERSBURG, WV -- Judge favors more openness in landmark C8 health study, Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette.
Jun 1: Little Hocking customers asked to reduce water use
LITTLE HOCKING -- "The Little Hocking Water Association has issued a request for customers to voluntarily reduce water use to avoid the activation of a well with high levels of the chemical C8. According to a news release from the association, a recent lack of rainfall and high customer demand are causing problems in meeting demand with only three operating wells," Jeffrey Saulton, Marietta Times.
May 24: PFOA in people
Food wrappers may be an important, overlooked source of perfluorochemicals in humans
WASHINGTON, DC -- "Although scientists and regulators are concerned and intrigued about the presence of anthropogenic perfluorinated chemicals in the blood of people from developed countries, little is known about the source of this contamination. Research interest and controversy have focused on the presence of these chemicals in the remote Arctic, where the source of contamination is a mystery. In contrast, the problem for people is just the opposite, because these chemicals are used on everything from fast-food wrappers to stain-resistant carpet," Rebecca Renner, Environmental Science and Technology.
May 22: Suspected carcinogen polluting water supply
 The Ai River has been found to contain a high concentration of a suspected carcinogen. |
OSAKA, JAPAN -- "An organofluoric compound suspected of causing cancer is polluting water throughout Japan, particularly around the city of Osaka, where high concentrations have been detected in people's blood, a study by a group of researchers showed Monday. The compound, perfluoro-octanoic acid, or PFOA, is believed to be released during the manufacture of fluorine-related products, such as water repellents," Kyodo News.
MARIETTA -- C8 health project: 20,000+ to be resampled, Callie Lyons, WMOA.
May 10: Perfluoroalkyl acids: What is the evidence telling us?
RALEIGH, NC -- "It was 2000 when the scientific community first became widely aware that perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS), then the key ingredient in 3M Company's popular Scotchgard stain repellent, was being found at extremely low levels throughout the environment and the human population... However, toxicologists are making headway in their understanding of these compounds, an important fact in light of new research suggesting that the levels being found in both people and animals may have an impact on their health," Kellyn Betts, Environmental Health Perspectives. May 2: Teflon is forever
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- "For decades, DuPont has sold the answer to crud, gunk, and grime. What the company didn't advertise was that its nonstick wonder sticks - to us... It shows up in dolphins off the Florida coast and polar bears in the Arctic; it is present, according to a range of studies, in the bloodstream of almost every American - and even in newborns," Leslie Savan, Mother Jones. 355 Kb pdf.
COLUMBUS -- Teflon chemical detected in infants, All babies tested had C8 in blood; danger open to study, debate, Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.
May 1: Absent C8 Health Project info, science panel begins new study
MARIETTA -- "Nearly 70,000 people who participated in the C8 Health Project may be surprised to learn that the database containing their medical and testing information has not yet been turned over to the C8 Science Panel. The court appointed panel of 3 epidemiologists hoped to begin releasing their findings early this spring, but lacking the body of data to do so they're now embarking on a new study using their own blood draws," Callie Lyons, WMOA.
PARKERSBURG, WV -- Study on Teflon chemical expanded, Associated Press.
PARKERSBURG, WV -- Study will look at long-term effects of chemical C8 in the body, Michael Erb, Marietta Times.
Apr 26: DuPont's plans steady in face of protests
WILMINGTON, DE -- "At the meeting, 77 percent of shareholders voted against a proposal that would have forced the company to provide detailed information about its use of PFOA by next year... 'I will go to the stockholders meeting to show them the face of someone dying of cancer,' said Maryanne McGonegal, a Wilmington resident and secretary of Common Cause of Delaware, a government watchdog group. 'We have to make them understand that people die because of their environmental practices.' At the meeting, DuPont employees represented by the United Steelworkers, environmental groups and community organizations from around the country expressed frustration with the company's unwillingness to discuss environmental concerns in front of workers. Company officials said they don't want to bargain with employees in such settings," Luladey Tedesse, Delaware News Journal.
Apr 18: Dupont asks shareholders to reject proposal on PFOA chemical
WASHINGTON, DC -- "DuPont & Co. is asking shareholders to vote against a shareholder proposal requesting that the chemical company examine an 'expeditious' phasing out of perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical used in making Teflon, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday. In the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, DuPont said 'We believe that the objectives of the proposal have been met and recommend you vote against (the proposal).' DuPont said in February it plans to phase out its use of the chemical by 2015," Antonie Boessenkool, Market Watch.
Apr 17: Shareholders warned of DuPont’s failure to disclose continuing financial risks from PFOA
New report released in advance of upcoming shareholder vote
WILMINGTON, DE -- "According to a new report by a group of EI DuPont de Nemours (DD) shareholders, DuPont faces escalating financial risks despite its recent acknowledgement that it must eventually end the use and production of the controversial chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Julie Gozan of Amalgamated Bank stated, "While the company has announced that it intends to end the production and use of PFOA by 2015, it has not provided shareholders with an assessment of the losses the company may suffer in the marketplace by continuing to use PFOA,'" press release, Dupont Shareholders for Fair Value.
Apr 11: Results from C8 study due soon
DECATUR -- "People who participated in the followup to the original C8 health study can expect to see results from the testing in the next two weeks, officials with the project announced at a meeting of the C8 Advisory Committee Tuesday. Whether levels of the chemical known as C8 have been reduced by the substitution of bottled water for water from the Little Hocking district’s lines should be available at that time," Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- C8 Study Still In Progress, Todd Baucher, WTAP.
Apr 3: Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof, and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8
PARKERSBURG, WV -- "As a resident of the mid-Ohio Valley, only a couple of dozen miles from the apparent national epicenter of C8 pollution in Little Hocking, my perception of the substance is that it sprang full-blown on the scene in 2004. Little did I, or millions nationwide, realize that C8 has been silently percolating through the soil I walk on, the air I breathe, the water I drink, and the food that I have eaten for most of my life. With thousands of industrial applications, from makeup to fabric coatings to cookware to food packaging, products made with this chemical are in every room of my house," Julie Zickefoose, Ohio writer and naturalist, Amazon.com. Mar 23: Purple sighting
PARKERSBURG, WV -- "It was a sight local residents are not used to...a mysterious purple cloud over the Ohio River. The source of the cloud...a leak of molten iodine from DuPont Washington Works. 'We are aware that it was very heavily iodine-oriented, by the purple color to the vapor cloud,' says plant manager Bill Hopkins. There were reports of cloud sightings form South Parkersburg, but also from Belpre and Little Hocking," Todd Baucher, WTAP News.
WASHINGTON, WV -- DuPont reports iodine release: Company says no impact on community was reported, Michael Erb and Jolene Craig, Marietta Times.
Mar 14: Cancer rates high in C8 areas
Year-old study by state released
 275 gallon drum of C8 at DuPont's Washington Works. (Mike Munden/ Columbus Dispatch) |
|---|
Mar 7: DuPont to test individual wells next for Teflon chemical
BELPRE -- "Within weeks, testing for the presence of a chemical used to make Teflon that's been found in the blood of Ohio and West Virginia residents will start extending to hundreds and perhaps thousands of isolated wells. As soon as its plan for the project is approved, DuPont Inc. will send letters to about 3,000 homes in southern Washington County and across the Ohio River outside Parkersburg, W.Va., to ask if they are served by a well instead of a municipal system," Associated Press.
Mar 5: New C8 survey planned
MARIETTA -- "A survey of C8 contamination in area water wells and systems could lead to water in Marietta and Williamstown being tested for the chemical, EPA officials said.
The survey is set to begin within the next few months.
Neither of the municipalities’ water systems has been tested for the chemical, which was reported last year by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as “likely” carcinogenic to humans. The EPA’s review is ongoing," Brad Bauer, Marietta Times.
Feb 22:
New C8 study finds baby development problems
CHARLESTON, WV -- "Newborn babies exposed to low levels of the chemical C8 have been found to have decreased birth weight and head circumference, according to preliminary results from Johns Hopkins University researchers. The findings, if confirmed, could represent a dramatic new piece of evidence — actual developmental effects in humans — about the potential dangers of C8 and similar chemicals," Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette.
Feb 20:
Residents weigh possibility of C8 hiding in their gardens
LITTLE HOCKING -- "Today, researchers looking at C8 incidence in people living in the Little Hocking Water Association Service District, have concerns about locally grown fruits and vegetables. Earlier studies showed higher blood C8 levels in residents tested who ate larger amounts of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
'Any study will spawn as many issues as answers,' said David Freeman, chairman of the Community Advisory Committee for the Decatur Community Association," Connie Cartmell, Marietta Times.
Feb 18:
DEP sets PFOA limit
DEEPWATER, NJ -- "The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has recommended the level of the chemical PFOA in drinking water be less than 40 parts per trillion, a level significantly lower than federal standards, according to officials. The standards are the first set by the DEP as concerns grow, especially in Salem County, about how PFOA (perfluorooctancoic acid) could impact health. The DEP standard is also much lower than those from federal environmental authorities," Christopher Weir, New Jersey Sunbeam.
Feb 14:
Businesses grow more socially conscious
MCLEAN, VA -- "Activists have argued for decades that companies, as good corporate citizens, are morally obligated to adopt socially responsible business practices. On their end, companies say they exist to sell products, make money and please shareholders — not to save the world... There's growing evidence that companies are embracing corporate social responsibility practices — whether it's reducing factory and transportation pollution, using natural materials for packaging or treating workers fairly — because they believe such strategies can be profitable and socially responsible," Edward Iwata, USA Today.
Feb 6: DuPont promises to end PFOA use by 2015
Called 'probable' carcinogen by advisory panel of EPA
WILMINGTON, DE -- "The DuPont Co. will end all use of a potentially toxic and long-lived ingredient in nonsticking and stain-resistant products by 2015, and reported rapid progress Monday in phasing out the same materials. DuPont Chairman Charles O. Holliday Jr. said the company plans to double its research and development investments that involve reducing or replacing materials or processes using perfluoroctanooic acid, or PFOA. The chemical is best known as an ingredient in the production of Teflon," Jeff Montgomery, Delaware News Journal.
Jan 19, 2007: Stain resistant, non-stick, waterproof, and lethal
The Hidden Dangers of C8
PARKERSBURG, WV -- "Manufactured by DuPont, it is used in the making of a plethora of stain-resistant consumer products, including microwave popcorn bags, food packaging, nail polish, car finishes, pizza boxes, and many other common items. Recently named a "likely carcinogen" by the EPA, C8 has been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, birth defects, and respiratory problems. The first members of the public to hear about C8, in 2002, were the residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley," Callie Lyons.
News from 2006, Jul
- Dec 2005, Jan - Jun 2005,
Jul - Dec 2004,
Jan
- Jun 2004, 2003
What's
the problem?
22,496 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and petitions to local grocery stores urging them not to carry products with Teflon chemicals in the packaging, as of Jun 11, 2006.
15,090 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and petitions urging DuPont to take Teflon chemicals off the food packaging market, as of December 15, 2005.
If you are already registered for C8 testing, call 304-865-2397 to schedule an appointment.
Ohio Citizen Action
(614) 487-7880.