2023-11-15 15:21:45
A blood test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was carried out for the first time in Zwijndrecht (province of Antwerp) in children aged under 12 years. The latter live within a radius of five kilometers around the 3M company site.
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To examine them, a new, less invasive blood test technique has been developed. It consists of making a light puncture in the finger instead of using the traditional needle.
The first children took the test at the Zwijndrecht sampling center on Wednesday afternoon.
Present on site, the Flemish Minister of Public Health, Hilde Crevits, affirms that the new method is painless and reliable: “More than 12,800 people have already registered for the blood test but, for the moment, only 577 children were reported. I hope this little prick in the finger will encourage parents and that the number of minors participating will increase.”
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Currently, no data exists regarding the impact of PFAS on young children in the region. This medical expertise must remedy this. Families with children under the age of 12 in the municipalities of Zwijndrecht, Beveren and Kruibeke will soon receive an invitation to the test. Then, it will be the turn of those from other municipalities, in the order of their proximity to the 3M factory.
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