Dr Brad Clarke presented a thought provoking presentation on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) last Thursday night at St Mary’s Hall in Bairnsdale.
Presented by Friends of the Gippsland Lakes (FOGL), around 75 people attended Dr Clarke’s talk on PFAS – a group of synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that are often described as “forever chemicals” because they
don’t readily break down in nature and can accumulate over time.
“The presentation covered a lot of things, including environmental and health concerns such as bioaccumulation, impacts on human and animal health, and contamination of water, soil and even air,” FOGL president Heather Oke said.
“He also touched on sources of PFAS exposure, which can include food, drinking water and lots of home and personal products, like carpet, clothing and tampons.
“I was shocked to learn that even makeup can be loaded with PFAS and that it’s basically everywhere, with trace amounts detectable in the blood of almost every person on the planet.
“FOGL would like to see greater monitoring of PFAS and open publication of test results, so we can all know how much PFAS we are potentially ingesting.”
Dr Clarke’s team at the Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC) have developed a PFAS blood tester that works like thumb prick for testing insulin levels.
“Once the PFAS blood tester goes into mass production, it should be an easy way for anyone to measure their own blood PFAS levels, making PFAS contamination very personal,” Ms Oke said.
“FOGL is looking to partner with Dr Clarke and his team on PFAS monitoring projects in and around the Gippsland Lakes.
“Anyone interested in getting involved in our citizen science project, or wanting to know more, is welcome to get in touch via our website.”
