High levels of the toxic substance PFOS has been detected in Swedish drinking water. Worst affected are the residents of Kallinge outside Ronneby in southern Sweden.
11 year olds in Kallinge were measured between 20 to 50 times higher values than those of the children who lives close to one of the factories that manufacture PFOS in the United States. Apart from the professional laborers who have worked in the factories with the substance PFOS the Kallinge children’s levels is the highest measured levels in the world.
– This will go to history as one of the largest Swedish environmental damages, says the Swedish Environment Minister Åsa Romson.
The toxic substance was banned by the EU in 2008 because it is suspected to cause cancer, liver damage and affect the immune system. PFOS was used in the 80s and 90s and up until the early 2000s in the fire extinguishing foam that the Swedish military used in their fire drills. The foam has then trickled into the ground down to the groundwater. The topic is also persistent, which means that it is extremely difficult for the human body and our nature to break down.
Other places where exceptionally high levels of PFOS has been measured are in Uppsala and Tullinge, as much as 30 other sites may be affected and nearly three million Swedes may be exposed.
PFOS is one of hundreds of substance which goes under the general name PFAS (poly- and perfluorinated alkylsubstances).
The reportage is shown at TV4 tuesday October 7th 21:30
Kalla Fakta studio after the program with Andreas Rocksén: http://www.tv4play.se/program/kalla-fakta?video_id=2983283
Report about the reportage in TV4 News: http://www.tv4play.se/iframe/video/2982805?width=1280&height=720&autoload=true
Read more:
Documents and background information: http://www.tv4.se/kalla-fakta/artiklar/dokumentation-kring-kalla-faktas-granskning-det-giftiga-vattnet-5433af9bc45948a63800003b
“Do you dare to drink the water?”, Svenska Dagbladet: http://mobil.svd.se/opinion/vagar-vi-dricka-kranvattnet_svd-3986613
“An environmental scandal that will go to history”, SvD: http://www.svd.se/opinion/brannpunkt/miljoskandal-av-historiska-matt_3992791.svd
“The drinking water has to be protect from toxins”, SvD: http://www.svd.se/opinion/brannpunkt/livsmedelsverket-skarp-lagarna-mot-kemikalier_3997135.svd
“Clean drinking water in the future?”, Skånskan: http://www.skanskan.se/article/20141012/OPINION/141019831/-/rent-dricksvatten-i-framtiden