Jersey’s residents are being advised to undergo bloodletting as a means to reduce high concentrations of harmful “forever chemicals” in their blood, following decades of contamination from firefighting foams used at the island’s airport.
Key Points at a Glance
- PFAS Exposure: Residents near Jersey’s airport have alarmingly high levels of PFAS in their blood, linked to kidney cancer, immune deficiencies, and thyroid issues.
- Bloodletting as a Solution: Experts recommend bloodletting and cholestyramine treatment to lower PFAS levels, but these methods are costly and offer no guarantees against disease.
- Long-Term Contamination: Decades of PFAS pollution from firefighting foams have affected private and public water supplies, with evidence of persistent contamination in soil and food.
- Legal Barriers: A confidential agreement with 3M limits Jersey’s ability to seek compensation or pursue class-action lawsuits.
Residents of Jersey have endured prolonged exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals often called “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and human body. The contamination stems from firefighting foams used at the island’s airport since the 1960s, with usage peaking in the 1990s during weekly fire training exercises.
Private well water near the airport was polluted, exposing households to high levels of PFAS until 2006 when residents in the most affected areas were switched to mains water. Despite this, many islanders continue to report health issues linked to prolonged exposure.
Tests on 88 residents in the plume area—the zone most affected by contamination—revealed that 70% had perfluorohexanesulphonic acid (PFHxS) levels exceeding safety thresholds, potentially impairing brain development and thyroid function. Elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), both known carcinogens, were found in 30% and 18% of participants, respectively.
The broader impact extends beyond water to the food supply. Potatoes grown in contaminated areas contained PFOS at levels ten times higher than European Commission recommendations. While the Jersey government asserts these levels are below tolerable thresholds, critics, including the European Food Safety Authority, argue that cumulative exposure from water and food is a significant health risk.
The Jersey government has established an independent PFAS scientific advisory panel, which recommends bloodletting to reduce PFAS levels. The process, which draws and replaces blood in measured amounts, has been shown to be effective, though it must be repeated until levels decline significantly.
Another proposed treatment is cholestyramine, a drug that binds to PFAS in the gastrointestinal tract and expedites their removal. While less expensive than bloodletting, it carries potential side effects and is not universally effective.
However, experts caution that reducing PFAS levels in the blood does not guarantee immunity from associated diseases. “Studies show that bloodletting lowers PFAS, but there are no guarantees it will prevent illnesses like bladder cancer,” said Ian Cousins, a member of the advisory panel.
Efforts to address the crisis are hindered by a 2005 agreement between Jersey’s government and 3M, the manufacturer of the firefighting foam. The deal, which provided £2.6 million for cleanup efforts, prohibits Jersey from pursuing further claims against 3M and requires government assistance in defending the company against other lawsuits.
This restrictive agreement has drawn criticism from legal experts. Rob Bilott, renowned for winning a landmark PFAS case against DuPont, expressed surprise: “I’ve not seen an agreement where a government helps defend a company affecting public health.”
For residents like Sarah Simon, who has elevated PFAS levels, the focus remains on immediate solutions. “I just want this out of my body,” she said, expressing fears of developing bladder cancer. However, the effectiveness of bloodletting or other interventions feels undermined by the ongoing presence of PFAS in drinking water.
Jersey Water, the island’s main supplier, has faced scrutiny for continuing to use contaminated sources during drought conditions. Although the company claims compliance with current PFAS standards, many residents are unconvinced. “Eliminating PFAS from our blood is pointless if the water remains contaminated,” said former airport engineer Jeremy Snowdon, who has high PFAS levels and cholesterol.
The government acknowledges the widespread nature of the problem but has yet to address the root cause. Experts like Cousins emphasize the need for comprehensive measures to contain and remediate contamination. “The government must ensure PFAS doesn’t spread further, affecting crops and public health,” he said.
The Jersey case highlights the far-reaching consequences of PFAS contamination and the challenges of holding corporations accountable. As the world grapples with managing forever chemicals, Jersey serves as a cautionary tale of delayed action, inadequate legal safeguards, and the enduring cost of environmental negligence.
