Three Blue Mountains residents got their blood tested for PFAS, after it was revealed the "forever chemicals" were in the drinking water catchment. Their results show some levels of PFAS higher than averages in heavily contaminated communities near defence bases. Blue Mountains City Council is urging NSW Health to determine if community testing is needed.
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00:00Catherine moved her family to the Blue Mountains for a cleaner, greener life.
00:08Then she started getting sick.
00:10I had been unwell for many years with many different things
00:14and I thought something in my house was poisoning me.
00:17When it emerged she'd been drinking water with elevated PFAS levels,
00:21she had her blood tested.
00:23I found out I've got extremely high blood levels
00:26and, well, they're dangerously high.
00:29Catherine and her son both have levels that exceed some averages
00:34among the nation's most exposed communities.
00:38The initial contamination from the Forever chemicals
00:41is thought to have occurred in 1992.
00:44Basically I've been away from here for the past 20 years
00:46and I was here in the 90s.
00:49I think it says that in the past there were probably
00:52very high levels of PFAS in the water.
00:54After seeing his own above-average results,
00:57Stop PFAS Action Group leader John Dee has engaged lawyers
01:01demanding government-funded screening.
01:04He believes the results could explain high cholesterol levels,
01:08which have a proven association with PFAS,
01:11but many can't afford the $500 test.
01:15An Australian study on communities exposed to PFAS
01:18found high levels of psychological distress,
01:21but its lead author thinks there's little benefit
01:24in testing small populations.
01:26If people say, oh, I've got high cholesterol or I've got cancer,
01:31it's impossible for that relationship, you know,
01:35to understand that relationship and blame it on PFAS.
01:38New South Wales Health says there's not enough evidence
01:41to link PFAS levels to current or future health issues.
01:45They're hoping that they can just say, oh, well,
01:49the water's being treated now, we've got new water,
01:51problem solved, move on.
01:53A community wanting clarity and support.