People living in parts of Mullumbimby in the Byron Shire hinterland are being warned to avoid using groundwater or harvesting homegrown fruit and veggies after PFAS chemicals were detected near their fire station.
People living in parts of Mullumbimby in the Byron Shire hinterland are being warned to avoid using groundwater or harvesting homegrown fruit and vegetables after PFAS chemicals were detected.
Advice from an Australian government website says most people are likely to have very low levels of PFAS in their bodies through exposure to household items like protective sprays, cosmetics, sunscreens, and some non-stick cookware.
The website states “some people living near sites where PFAS have been released into the environment in large amounts — usually due to the use of PFAS-containing fire-fighting foams — may have higher levels in their bodies, particularly if they have been drinking contaminated bore water”.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said he was doorknocked by NSW Fire and Rescue on Monday and warned his bore water-irrigated veggie patch may have been contaminated.
In May last year the federal government settled a class action over PFAS contamination from firefighting foam at seven sites across the country, paying out $132.7 million to about 30,000 claimants.
A senior adviser at the International Pollutants Elimination Network, Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, said there was a reason PFAS was known as “forever chemicals”.
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People living in parts of Mullumbimby in the Byron Shire hinterland are being warned to avoid using groundwater or harvesting homegrown fruit and vegetables after PFAS chemicals were detected.
Advice from an Australian government website says most people are likely to have very low levels of PFAS in their bodies through exposure to household items like protective sprays, cosmetics, sunscreens, and some non-stick cookware.
The website states “some people living near sites where PFAS have been released into the environment in large amounts — usually due to the use of PFAS-containing fire-fighting foams — may have higher levels in their bodies, particularly if they have been drinking contaminated bore water”.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said he was doorknocked by NSW Fire and Rescue on Monday and warned his bore water-irrigated veggie patch may have been contaminated.
In May last year the federal government settled a class action over PFAS contamination from firefighting foam at seven sites across the country, paying out $132.7 million to about 30,000 claimants.
A senior adviser at the International Pollutants Elimination Network, Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, said there was a reason PFAS was known as “forever chemicals”.
The original article contains 652 words, the summary contains 194 words. Saved 70%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!