[cityhantam]

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[Migrant]

Next Taiwan. Building a lab there. 
For what?

[cityhantam]

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/0...6d8dd.html

US military base in Tokyo admits leaks containing PFAS

TOKYO -- US Yokota base in Japan's western Tokyo area has acknowledged three incidents of leakage involving foam fire extinguishers containing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of organic fluorine compounds that raise health concerns, local media reported.

It marked the first time that the US military has acknowledged such leakage of foam fire extinguishers at Yokota Base, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported.

The incidents took place in January 2010, as well as in October and November 2012, and involved leakage from storage containers and drums, according to the news report.

The US military claims that there was no recognition of any outflow outside the base, although they have not provided detailed information regarding the amount leaked, said the newspaper.

The revelation came to light through a liaison council consisting of the local government and municipalities in the vicinity of the base, which received the information via the Ministry of Defense and made it public on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, the liaison council requested the national government to conduct an investigation into the impact on groundwater, along with providing detailed information on the locations and quantities of the leakage incidents.

In the Tama region where the base is located, elevated levels of PFAS have been detected in some wells used for drinking water.

While the extent of health effects caused by PFAS is still not fully understood, a citizens' group conducted blood tests on 650 residents starting in 2022, and among them, 55 individuals exceeded overseas standards considered indicative of health risks in terms of PFAS concentration.

The leakage incidents at Yokota base raised concerns among local residents and authorities regarding potential groundwater contamination and its impact on public health.

Further investigations and measures are anticipated to address this issue and ensure the safety of the affected areas.

[cityhantam]

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/forever-che...s-and-home

What Are the Health Effects of PFAS?

PFAS have now been linked to a wide range of health risks in both human and animal studies—including cancer (kidney and testicular), hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, interference with vaccine effectiveness, reproductive harm, and abnormal fetal development.

Many of these problems, including kidney cancer and thyroid disease, turned up in the C8 studies, which monitored the health of about 69,000 people in West Virginia who were exposed to certain PFAS in their drinking water. Key adverse effects of some PFAS were known by chemical industry scientists decades ago, but were not disclosed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the public. For example, EPA issued a multimillion-dollar fine to manufacturer DuPont because of the company’s “multiple failures to report information to EPA about substantial risk of injury to human health or the environment” from the PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8). Now, scores of independent studies show PFAS can be toxic to adults and especially children, whose developing bodies are more vulnerable. Some PFAS have even been known to build up in a child before birth. Alarmingly, PFAS were detected in the breast milk, umbilical cord blood, or bloodstreams of 98 percent of participants in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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