Minnesota Department of Health

News Release

July 9, 2009

Contact information

Study confirms PFC exposure in east metro area communities
Blood levels expected to decrease in the future due to actions taken to reduce exposure

Results from a biomonitoring pilot project that measured levels of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in the blood of residents in the east metro area confirm that residents were exposed to PFCs.

PFCs are commonly found at low levels in the US general population from a variety of sources including food and consumer products. The pilot project, conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), found that the levels of three PFCs in East Metro residents who agreed to participate were slightly higher than the national average.

The results will be presented in two public meetings on July 21 and July 22. There will be an open house before and after the meetings and an opportunity for residents to ask questions during the meeting. (A complete schedule of the meetings is included at the end of this news release).

For the pilot study, health scientists interviewed and obtained blood samples from 196 randomly selected adult participants in order to measure the levels of seven perfluorochemicals in their blood. One half of the participants’ homes were served by private wells in Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove and the other half were served by the Oakdale municipal water system. Private wells had to have at least trace levels of PFOA or PFOS for the residents to be eligible for the study.

Since the initial discovery of PFCs in drinking water, action has been taken to eliminate or reduce the levels of PFCs in drinking water to below health based exposure limits in these communities, primarily through carbon filtration of water supplies.

Individual results were mailed earlier this year to those participants who indicated they wished to receive them. Participants also received other helpful information about national findings for PFCs in people’s blood, PFCs in general, and ways to reduce exposure to PFCs.

Biomonitoring means directly measuring the amount of a chemical in people’s bodies. The East Metro PFC Biomonitoring Study measured PFC levels in adults who live in the east metro area, where the drinking water has been found to contain PFCs. The pilot study stems from 2007 state legislation directing MDH to develop and implement a statewide Environmental Health Tracking and Biomonitoring (EHTB) program.

There is currently limited information available on the health effects of PFCs in the general population. Studies by 3M workers exposed to PFCs during manufacturing show no apparent impact on their health. Studies on animals have shown some health effects, such as effects on the liver, thyroid, and pancreas. But it is unclear whether these problems are likely to occur in humans and at what levels of exposure.

Meetings:
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
6-9 p.m.
Skyview Elementary
1100 Heron Ave. N.
Oakdale, MN

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
6-9 p.m.
City of Cottage Grove, Council Chambers
7516 80th Street South
Cottage Grove, MN

Meeting Agenda
Open House, 6-7 p.m.
Presentation, 7-8 p.m., with time for questions and answers
Open House, 8-9 p.m.

-MDH-

For more information, contact:

Tannie Eshenaur
Environmental Health
651-201-4873

Jean Johnson
Environmental Health Tracking and Biomonitoring
651-201-5902

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