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Claiming that DuPont withheld the results of a study of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in human blood, EPA announced last week that it would seek a fine of nearly $1.5 million from the company.
EPA says DuPont should have sent the test results to the agency promptly, as required under federal law. Instead, the agency received the information several weeks after DuPont allegedly obtained the data.
At issue is a study, done at DuPont's request, of PFOA in the blood of 12 plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the company. Those individuals, who live near the DuPont plant outside of Parkersburg, W.Va., were exposed to the chemical in a public drinking water supply that has averaged about 0.5 ppb of PFOA for several years, EPA says. For decades, the facility has used PFOA in the manufacture of DuPont's Teflon.
The people who were tested claim they stopped drinking their local water about three years ago, EPA says. The July 2004 study showed they had between 15.7 and 128 ppb of PFOA in their blood, with an average of 67 ppb, according to the agency. In comparison, the U.S. population is estimated to have PFOA levels of 5 ppb in blood, on average, EPA adds.
DuPont is fighting the complaint, saying the exposure levels in the 12 samples "are below occupational exposure levels, where we have not observed any adverse health effects." Therefore, the company argues, it was not required to report the data to EPA. DuPont adds that it is committed to sharing its research findings on PFOA with EPA and the public.
DuPont also faces previous EPA charges that it withheld other information on PFOA (C&EN, July 12, page 18).
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| SURFACTANT DuPont's Washington Works, near Parkersburg, W.Va., uses PFOA to make the Teflon polymer.
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