Jersey PFAS panel will hold first meeting before summer

A panel set up to research the effects of PFAS on people's health will hold its first meeting between April and June, Jersey's government has said.

A testing programme found a number of islanders had high levels of the chemical, which can be found in hundreds of items, in their blood.

The panel was set up to understand the effects of PFAS, and will prioritise blood donation.

The government has now announced Dr Steve Hajioff would chair the panel.

It said the most likely source of some islanders being exposed to PFAS, which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, was firefighting foam that leaked into waterways.

It will examine clinical interventions, assessment of evidence on health impacts of PFAS, environmental management and PFAS blood testing and retesting.

This will enable an "evidenced-informed approach to decision making", the government said.

Prof Peter Bradley, director of public health, said Dr Hajioff had experience leading multi-disciplinary panels relating to the environment and health.

"He is particularly well suited to this role because of his background as a doctor and his significant experience leading panels that developed clinical guidelines for England," he said.

Dr Hajioff said the panel would listen to those affected by the situation.

"This is an exciting opportunity to hear the voices of the community, to explore an emerging area of science and to make recommendations on effective and meaningful ways to respond to the situation," he said.

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