Blood plasma levels of cancer-causing PFOS high among residents of 2 Tokyo suburbs: NPO

By Toshiyuki Suzuki | The Mainichi | November 2, 2020

Read the full article by Toshiyuki Suzuki (The Mainichi)

“TOKYO — Cancer-causing organic fluorine compounds such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been found in above-national-average concentrations in the blood plasma of residents in two cities in Tokyo’s Tama region, a nonprofit organization has announced.

The tap water in the two suburban cities contains concentrations of PFOS above the national government’s provisional target figure, and the organization, Japan Endocrine-disruptor Preventive Action (JEPA), has submitted a recommendation to the national and Tokyo Metropolitan governments to conduct health surveys of Tama region residents.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare established a provisional target figure for PFOS and a similar substance, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), at a total of 50 nanograms per 1 liter of tap water in April 2020. It requested that all local governments stop drawing water from wells that exceeded the target figure.

In August, JEPA obtained the cooperation of 11 residents each in areas where water is supplied from the Fuchu Musashidai water purification plant in the Tokyo suburb of Fuchu, and the Higashi Koigakubo water purification plant in the capital’s suburb of Kokubunji, both in the Tama region, and looked into the concentration of PFOS and other chemicals in their blood plasma. Those two plants have used well water. It has been reported that for years, levels of PFOS and other substances exceeding target figures had been found in tap water supplied by the two water purification plants…”

This content provided by the PFAS Project.