Dupont, Ewg Spar over Pfoa Study

The Environmental Working Group is asking EPA to fine DuPont for failing to submit to the agency a study of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the blood of people living near the firm's Parkersburg, W.Va., plant. PFOA is used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers including DuPont's Teflon. The study in question found an average of 67.6 ppb PFOA, which contrasts with the average 5.6 ppb found in the general U.S. population, EWG says. DuPont responds that the analysis was of PFOA in the blood of the 12 plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed against the company and was undertaken at DuPont's request. DuPont says the levels of PFOA found in these people's blood are well below the 0.5 to 2 ppm typically found in workers exposed to the compound. No adverse health effects have been observed in workers exposed to PFOA, DuPont adds. EWG points out that the current level of PFOA in the blood of the general population has spurred EPA's concern about health effects from the chemical. The environmental group argues that the Toxic Substances Control Act required DuPont to send the results of the blood analysis to EPA promptly. DuPont says it is cooperating fully with the agency to provide any PFOA data of interest to the agency "and is committed to share details of all ongoing research on the compound."