The cancer-causing chemical in almost every Aussie's bloodstream | A Current Affair

chances are they're in our cookware toiletries even our clothes they're called Forever chemicals and they're bad we're now learning what a corporate giant knew about the poison for decades but stayed silent things like frying pans contact lenses dental floss shaving cream your kids school uniform your yoga pants your sports bra they knew for decades that these chemicals were highly toxic in everyone's blood forever chemicals sound pretty scary and well they are their name is Long per and poly fluro alal substances their reach wide pasas is estimated to be in the bloodstream of 98% of the world's population they're all around your home on your clothes in the water toxic causing an increased risk of cancer and developmental problems in children and so the reason that they're known as forever chemicals is because they never break down in the environment unless they're incinerated at incredibly high temperatures um and in the human body they stay in the human body for years two Australian women Sydney Morning Herald journalist Carrie felner and Stan documentary director Katrina mcgaan we could have a serious problem have exposed the shocking extent to which man-made forever chemicals have crept into our lives and that was removed from the official meeting minutes wasn't it sir I I don't see that final statement in in the second copy of the meeting minutes investigating the Crusade for justice as communities around the world discover their blood homes and water are contaminated the team document the David and Goliath legal battle with American industrial giant 3M which invented the chemicals back in the 1930s and up until the year 2000 pumped it out in products such as Scotch Guard fabric protector turning up the heat on 3m's role in the Scandal uncovering Decades of damning evidence buried in the company's corporate files which ultimately tell the story of what 3M knew and that they knew for decades that these chemicals were highly toxic and in everyone's blood they were enormous money spinner for like 3M because they have an incredible ability to repel oil repel water repel grease so they can be used in about 900 different household products in the 1960s 3M also worked with the United States Navy developing firefighting foam using the same chemicals the Australian Navy's Jervis Bay range facility overlooks wreck Bay on the New South Wales South Coast the documentary team visited the culturally Rich Aboriginal Community these chemicals were unwittingly poured into their waterways for decades used for firefighting training there were no warnings if we wanted to put out oil fire we'd have to use the foam and the water while the chemical has been phased out the water is still contaminated there was foam in the creek and we would play with it we didn't know what it was this was just such a horrible thing that had happened to them and not only were they dealing with the fact that their uh their land was contaminated but they it was having a huge impact on their cultural practices um and these cultural practices had dated back for thousands of years and they were no longer able to fish or collect their Bush medicine and um it was just such a a heartbreaking story heartbreak to for the residents of Oki in Queensland Catherine in the Northern Territory and William toown in new southwest where hundreds found their properties were contaminated by the firefighting foam the locals call it the Red Zone 650 properties within a 5 km radius south of the RF base just outside of Newcastle we've followed the story of a cancer cluster in William toown since 2015 Jenny Robinson was diagnosed with two different types of breast cancer The Neighbors on both sides of me have passed away with cancer just in this immediate area quickly maybe 10 10 of 15 houses have cancer dark Waters is Hollywood's take on the legal battle with the chemical Giants that chemical what if you drank it drank it it's like saying what if I swallowed a tire it's leading man Oscar nominated Mark Ruffalo is using his star power to keep up the fight it's in the food it's everywhere there nothing you can do without coming into contact with it nobody would be that lawyer Gary Douglas spearheaded the litigation against 3M and another company Dupont which used forever chemicals in well-known products including nonstick cookware coated with Teflon it's always my desire to get in court and tell a story in a public form and so that the world will hear it the case was ready for trial when the night before the chemical Giant settled that's why I think this documentary uh is so important and so well done and does tell this story um that should you know that needs to be told 3M agreed to pay $19 billion Dupont just over $2 billion to pay for the costs of remediating in other words cleaning out the contamination from their drinking water so that Americans will drink past free water eventually and do you feel in these cases the the punishment ever really fits the crime you can give someone all the money in the world but you know that can't buy back your health uh that can't cure your child of cancer so the money really it's just not enough for these communities uh for the mental anguish that they're dealing with and potentially uh the physical consequences of that our government has now banned three of the most notorious forever chemicals and you can watch the documentary from tomorrow on Stan

Channel: A Current Affair

Views: 233,180

Keywords: a current affair, a current affair reporter, a current affair australia, channel 9 news, 9 news australia, australia news, world news, australian news, channel 9

Id: _3m2PZrrOmc

Length: 6min 50sec (410 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 29 2024