Jersey panel could provide international research on PFAS

Grace Norman, deputy director of public health, said existing evidence on PFAS was complicated

A new scientific panel set up by Jersey's Public Health department could contribute to international research on man-made chemicals linked with cancer.

PFAS stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, which are found in hundreds of everyday items.

In 2022, islanders who were exposed to PFAS through contamination in an area near the airport had their blood tested.

Results found they had higher levels of PFAS in their blood than normal.

The most likely source of the contamination could be firefighting foam that had leaked into water supplies, reports found.

PFAS has been linked to testicular and kidney cancer, plus other diseases, including ulcerative colitis.

The government confirmed the panel was set up with the help of those islanders affected, and was identifying "suitable experts" to aid its investigations.

Grace Norman, deputy director of public health, said a group of scientific experts were now examining current evidence for "all of its flaws and its advantages".

"The purpose of the PFAS scientific advisory panel is to engage experts in order for us to have a good understanding of the evidence around PFAS, because the evidence is actually really quite complicated research," she said.

"The evidence is changing all the time so it's really important that we get a good understanding of the evidence that does exist... so that we can make evidence-based decisions.

"This is a relatively understudied area currently and it would be better that we have the maximum amount of evidence shared with everybody so that the whole world can benefit."

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