AN independent review is set to take place to advise government on how a potentially toxic chemical might be removed from local water supplies.
Ministers have agreed to establish a scientific advisory panel to provide recommendations over polluted water sources, in particular those near St Ouen’s Bay.
Run-off from the Airport firefighting training ground is known to have polluted water sources in that area with the now-banned chemical perfluorooctane sulfonate.
PFOS belongs to a diverse group of man-made substances known collectively as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS were added to items such as pots, pans and outdoor jackets and aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used in fire-fighting due to their ability to resist oil, water, heat and fuel.
However, scientific studies have linked PFAS to several serious health conditions, including cancer, kidney disease and thyroid issues, plus birth defects.
This year, residents who lived close to the Airport and water courses running from it were invited to take part in a government-funded, blood-testing programme.
All 78 samples tested were found to have three types of PFAS in them, with 80% having one type – called PFHxS – at a high concentration.
Last week, residents were invited to meet ministers and civil servants to share their concerns and find out how the government planned to respond. Alongside the independent review, it also plans to carry out a hydrogeological study to find out how PFAS moves around the Island.
The study will see several new boreholes for analysis drilled into St Ouen’s Bay and the extraction of samples from existing study sites.
Speaking after the meeting, Sarah Simon, a St Ouen’s Bay resident who believes her health and that of many of her neighbours has been impacted by ingesting PFAS over many years, said: ‘The mood of the meeting was quite heartfelt – PFAS has clearly affected people’s health. This message was loud and clear.
‘Our government, although moving in the right direction, are still not taking the matter of PFAS ingestion seriously; if they were they wouldn’t be “blending banned chemicals to dilute in local drinking water supplies”.’
PFAS are found in mains drinking water, but Jersey Water manage this by blending, and say its supplies remain fully compliant with water-quality limits for PFAS set by the EU Drinking Water Directive and UK regulations.
