People exposed to the chemicals known as PFCs at the former Pease Air Force base could soon be taking part in a new national health study.
A defense spending bill signed into law by President Trump on Tuesday included an amendment on PFCs backed by New Hampshire’s congressional delegation.
The amendment directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out a first-of-its-kind national health study on the effects of perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs. Some evidence has linked PFCs to cancer, but overall their effect on human health is poorly understood.
Andrea Amico is with the community activist group Testing for Pease. She says the news is a big step in the right direction.
“I have two small children that attended daycare at Pease and have high levels of these chemicals in their bodies. And so one of the things that I better understand is, ‘what does this mean for their health in the future?’”
At least 1,800 people are known to have been exposed to PFCs at Pease. It’s just one of about a dozen sites around the state dealing with PFC contamination.
