Researchers have found a “probable
link” between the toxic chemical C8 and many health conditions and diseases.
What Is C8?
C8 is a
chemical also known as perfluorooctanoate acid, or PFOA. It is a
processing agent involved in the manufacturing of Teflon and other non-stick
cooking surfaces, water-resistant clothing, oil-resistant paper packaging, and
other products. Massive amounts of C8 were used at DuPont’s Washington Works plant,
which is located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Parkersburg is about 70 miles
due north of Charleston, West Virginia. The products have been manufactured at
DuPont’s plant since the 1950s. In 2002, local consumers detected elevated
levels of C8 in drinking water.
Unfortunately,
large amounts of C8 were emitted from the plant, which contaminated groundwater
in West Virginia. DuPont also disposed of large amounts of C8 in landfills
along the Ohio River, which contaminated drinking water in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Who
Was Exposed to C8?
Those who may have been exposed to C8 drank
contaminated water for at least one year before December 3, 2004, in any of the following six water districts (or private
wells within these districts):
- Little Hocking, Ohio
- Lubeck Public Service District,
West Virginia
- City of Belpre, Ohio
- Tuppers Plains, Ohio
- Mason County Public Service
District, West Virginia
- Village of Pomeroy, Ohio
Previous
Litigation
DuPont
has already agreed to settle a massive C8
class action lawsuit involving more than 80,000 people who drank
contaminated water in Ohio and West Virginia. There were many conditions of the
settlement. DuPont agreed to phase out the use of C8 and install a
state-of-the-art water treatment facility. Today, levels of C8 are almost
undetectable in the drinking water.
As
part of the settlement, DuPont also agreed to create a panel of three
epidemiologists to investigate “probable links” between C8 exposure and health
complications, such as cancer and birth defects. The panel was created in 2005.
The panel has found many “probable links.”
Another
requirement in the settlement is that DuPont must pay up to $235 million to
establish a health monitoring program to evaluate people who may be at risk of
developing any of the health complications discovered by the C8 Science Panel.
DuPont officials say that the program “will extend many years into the future.”
Even
if you were included in the previous class action settlement, you can still hire a lawyer to represent you in
an individual personal injury claim against DuPont. The individual
claims are separate from the class action lawsuit. In fact, in April 2013, 26
cases pending in the Southern Districts of Ohio and West Virginia have been
consolidated and centralized in the Southern District of Ohio in front of Judge
Edward Sargus.
Health
Effects From Exposure to C8
The
Epidemiologists studying the issues have found “probable links” between C8 and
many severe, life-threatening side effects. These side effects include:
- High cholesterol
- Kidney cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
(ulcerative colitis)
- Preeclampsia — high blood
pressure (hypertension) among pregnant women
- And more
In the fourth and final report, issued on October
29, 2012, researchers from the 3-member C8 Science Panel found a “probable
link” between exposure to the toxic chemical and high cholesterol. The
researchers found that ailments and diseases such as coronary artery disease,
chronic kidney disease, liver disease, high blood pressure (hypertension),
osteoarthritis, or Parkinson’s disease were not associated with C8 exposure.
One
of the panelists, Dr. Kyle Steenland, found that high blood pressure affected
20% of the people in the study. The participants were all part of a C8 class
action lawsuit against DuPont, and they had their blood serum and medical
history evaluated.
If you or a loved one was exposed to C8 from DuPont’s
manufacturing plant in the Mid-Ohio Valley and suffer from high cholesterol,
kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, IBD and/or preeclampsia,
please contact Booth Samuels at booths@pittmandutton.com
or toll free at 1-866-515-8880.
